A TRADITIONAL Isle of Wight pub has been given a new lease of life, while still retaining a strong sense of its Victorian past.
The Prince of Wales pub in East Cowes was given a grand reopening on August 3, with upwards of 300 attending.
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The pub, near Osborne House, is owned by experienced Island businessman, Ronnie Keates, and his new bride, Sam.
Ronnie successfully established the Rocket Ronnies brand, with outlets in Newport, started in 2011, Ryde and Southampton.
Sam, who hails from Cowes, has no pub and hotel experience, and is learning the business "from the ground up", working alongside her son, Jack Page, its manager.
It has been a whirlwind past few months for the couple.
"We went to look at it on July 3 and by July 6 we had the keys. It was a very quick turnaround," said Ronnie.
"We have the hotel up and running, but our early focus has been on starting to refurbish the bar area and dining room, with new carpet, lighting, seating, including dining room chairs, and decor — keeping it looking minimalistic.
"The interior is now looking cleaner and fresher. The place was seriously cluttered.
"We've created a new area in the Coach House. The pool table was moved there and created seating inside, with new lighting and a back bar."
Ronnie and Sam have also upgraded their menu — for breakfast, lunch and dinner — and have three new chefs delivering a new culinary experience for patrons.
The menu will adapted to the winter season later in the year.
"We will be doing Sunday roasts and the kind of fare every good pub would produce," Ronnie adds.
The hotel is undergoing refurbishment too, to all of its nine ensuite rooms — each one named after each of Queen Victoria's nine children.
Osborne House was Queen Victoria's favourite residence, and the pub was built in 1850 as a hostel for her coachmen.
"We want to link the pub with Osborne House. We are trying to mix the Victorian with the modern.
"It has been a lot of hard work getting the place up and running, but we have great plans for the place," Ronnie adds.
"We've been so busy, we didn't have time for a honeymoon. We got married on the Saturday (July 27), right in the middle of everything, then we were straight back to work on the Tuesday, so we could open on time."
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