A PUB in the heart of Ashley has reopened its doors after a major refurbishment.

On Friday May 22, The Greyhound pub in the village reopened its doors to old regulars and new customers as it showed off a brand new look.

The J.W.Lees establishment, located on Cow Lane, celebrated a grand opening after an 11-week closure for refurbishment.

Following the relaunch party, which saw members of the public join owners, Simon and William Lees Jones for the occasion, the pub is now back open for business.

Graham Holton, local area manager for J.W.Lees, said: “We wanted to refurbish The Greyhound, so we had several meetings with local people and planning departments and came up with a scheme that everyone was happy with.

“We have almost doubled the size of the pub. We have moved the cellar and the kitchen and had a brand new extension put in.”

The pub, which is run by the north west, family owned brewery, is hoping that its new look will attract families, local residents and dog owners to the village.

But Graham said it was also important to the company to keep the traditional features of the pub, which attract so many loyal customers.

“We have had a great first week," he said.

"The reception has beaten all expectations. The Greyhound is focusing on serving great food and drinks, but we have also kept the old bar so that all the regular locals stay happy with the pub.

“The new look has made a massive difference, we have been really well-attended since re-opening, and on top of that, we have a new spring menu which has been tried and tested across a number of our pubs

“We will probably be bringing in around five times as much money as before.

“I’m very excited about the future of the new Greyhound pub. We have lots of special nights lined up, and we will be launching a quiz night on a Tuesday too.”

As part of the re-launch, management and residents came together to enjoy a pint of cask ale ‘on the house,’ and speeches were made by Simon and William.

Staff also pulled together to donate all of their tips to the Nepal crisis, making more than £300 in total for the cause.