A WELL-loved local pub near Romsey has reopened under new ownership following a £100,000 refurbishment, its first in three decades.

The Hunters Inn at Winchester Hill, Woodley, has been transformed into a modern family and dog friendly venue which has been redecorated, had a new bar and pizza oven installed and seen new garden furniture, a new stretch tent and new technology added.

A play area and outdoor bar are about to be installed in the impressive rear garden and plans are afoot for a Sunday night pub quiz to start up next month and for a number of live music nights over the summer.

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Husband and wife team Chris and Nicola Schutrups recently took ownership of The Hunters and decided on a complete overhaul to give it a more modern feel.

The onus is on serving home cooked meals using locally sourced produce and supporting local businesses and farmers.

Experienced head chef Max Beale is overseeing a menu which includes pub favourites like burgers, steaks, curry and lasagne as well as a whole host of homemade desserts each day.

Daily Echo:

New owner Chris told the Daily Echo: "We’ve recently gone through a huge refurbishment which has seen the pub change from a dated boozer to a family and dog friendly venue.

“We’re super proud of the brand new Hunters Inn. We’ve put a lot of focus on making this a food led, family friendly venue where the community can enjoy home-cooked food and a nice pint of local beer or a glass of wine sourced by our local supplier.

“We’ve already flown up 15 places on Tripadvisor in two weeks. The feedback from our customers is amazing. Our roast dinner has been fully booked for our first two weeks since our relaunch and we’ve gone from doing 40 to 50 roasts on a Sunday to over 200.”

An impressive wine list has been put together by local supplier Elegant Wines. The incredible selection has proved so popular that people are choosing to take them home too.

Lagers include Amstel and Birra Moretti, with craft beer on tap from Beavertown and Camdens Hell. There are also local ales from Flack Manor, Doom Bar and a guest ale selected by customers.

Daily Echo:

With 30 tables outside, there’s plenty of space in the huge garden for everyone to make the most of the summer.

The Hunters Inn has been at the heart of the community for hundreds of years and was known by its previous name of The Old Rising Sun back in the 1800s.

The purchase, from popular previous owners Gary Whitfield and Gina McDonald who took the decision earlier this year to focus on their full time careers, will secure the future of the community hub for generations to come.

  • The Hunters Inn is our pub of the week. To have your watering hole featured, click on the link below or email lorelei.reddin@dailyecho.co.uk