00:00 Hi, I'm Sam, Digital Reporter for the Lancashire Post and today I went to the village of Hunco
00:05 where a local pub known as the Whittaker's Arms has just undergone a £287,000 refurbishment.
00:12 I went to speak to the licensee, Vanessa, about the future of the pub and what the refurbishment
00:17 has done.
00:18 So when Jamie and myself decided that we wanted to go into a pub, it was finding the right
00:31 pub and we looked from Harrogate to Newcastle to Hull and we weren't going to just take
00:43 the first pub because this is what we decided to do, it was about finding the right one.
00:48 So we started our training without having a pub because we decided we were going to
00:51 go with Starbars and Pubs.
00:52 So we started the training and this came on and that day of training we came into here
00:59 and sat at a pint and we said, "Do you know what it is?
01:03 This feels like home."
01:04 So we phoned up and said, "Is it still available?"
01:07 "Yes."
01:08 And then we started the process.
01:10 We've been here nearly two weeks and sitting and eating tea downstairs at night, we've
01:17 lived and breathed the place and it's definitely become home.
01:20 We did a dummy run last night and it's quite unusual that we're inviting people into
01:25 what we call our front room.
01:27 I think, yes, welcoming.
01:30 We feel welcomed here.
01:31 We feel welcomed by everybody that's popped their head in.
01:34 Very, very excited about the future and putting her where she needs to be, really.
01:39 So the £287,000 refurbishment, what exactly has that gone into in terms of around the
01:47 pub?
01:48 So it's all had new flooring, full redecoration, a refurb of all the furniture that's gone
01:54 into there.
01:55 We've got new TVs, new pool table, all the lights on the bar are new as well.
02:01 We've got all the tidying area.
02:04 We've got a brand new kitchen that's gone in as well.
02:08 New fridges, microwave and everything.
02:12 All new lighting, all new signage outside the front.
02:16 We've now got more seating for outside.
02:18 So there's seven tables outside the back and there's three outside the front and it's
02:26 had a major clean down for the back area as well.
02:29 Little bits of general repair needs to be done as well.
02:33 Brand new dark board, all the area's nice and generally really good lift to the area.
02:38 You mentioned before you're looking forward to throwing a few events and having entertainment.
02:43 What sort of things are you planning to put on?
02:46 So we're going to go and put live acts on on a Saturday.
02:49 We've already booked acts out until June on a Saturday night.
02:55 We've got the function room that's available for 150 people to find out and events that
03:01 are happening in the day.
03:03 And then we are going to run bingo as well and quiz nights.
03:13 When we go down and carry a group we're not really sure.
03:15 We want to get the locals in and get a bit, you know, we want to provide what they want as well.
03:19 So we're quite a dog friendly place as well.
03:22 So dogs are available and can come in the area and apart from the parking area.
03:29 We've got dog trees behind the bar so we've got a dog menu on as well.
03:33 And generally we try and get walkers in to come from here because they go from the other side.
03:38 And there's fantastic different areas to explore from the back.
03:42 So we've got a car park for about 32 cars.
03:47 So it's a really good start and end point as well.
03:49 Office is a little bit different.
03:51 We've got coffee and we do free refills as well.
03:54 The menu is really, really good.
03:56 We've tasted it on numerous occasions.
03:58 The staff have tasted it and the staff want to come in and eat again.
04:03 And I guess just on a final point, what do you hope the Whitsakers Islands kind of brings to the local community?
04:09 We want to be a premium community local and to put it where it needs to be.
04:15 By offering what everybody wants as well.
04:18 We've got a really, really good team behind us from the back of the house to the front of the house as well.
04:24 It's quite warm. People come in, if there's a chance, come in.
04:28 They'll come back again.
04:29 [Music]
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