A historic Southampton pub which was closed for eight months has reopened.

The Alexandra, now known as The Alex, welcomed customers once more on August 4.

New landlady Jen Ford took over the well-loved watering hole on Bellevue Road after a stint at London Road Brew House.

With a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry, the 36-year-old grabbed the bull by its horns.

The pub was refurbished over a course of several weeks.

Jen said: “I have been in hospitality since I was 18. I started off as bar staff then went up the ranks, always for big companies. I was the manager at Brew House from 2018.

“I loved the pub and working there, but after six years I thought it was time to do something for myself with my own pub.

“I was looking at pubs when The Alex came up. It’s opposite my previous workplace, so it’s an area I really know.

“The pub itself needed a lot of work doing to it.

“The brewery behind it was really keen on having me and my experience, so they did a lot of work for me and helped to give the pub a new lease of life.”

Daily Echo: Jen Ford outside The AlexJen Ford outside The Alex (Image: Jen Ford)

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Despite only being open for three weeks, The Alex has been subject to rave reviews online and in-person.

‘We are already getting repeat customers and great reviews on the food and bar,’ Alex said.

She was keen to introduce a variety of options, from vegan and vegetarian dishes to ‘Smash’ burgers.

Jen said: “One of the main things I wanted to do, food-wise, is introduce Smash Burgers- You take a ball of mince and place it on a hot griddle then press it down into a thin patty.

“This creates a nice browning. This method makes it a lot more unusual, and it’s got quite a following online.”

She added: “I am a meat eater myself, but I would be foolish to discount vegetarians and vegans from the pub. I looked into options for them, which are also things meat eaters will enjoy.”

But the reopening of the pub has not come without its challenges.

Jen said: “We have faced the challenge of getting the word out there as the pub has been closed for so long, but it’s slowly getting out.

“The pub has been The Alexandra Hotel since the 1800s and it’s a feature of Southampton.

“So many pubs are closing, so it’s nice to be opening a pub, which the community has responded really well to.

“It’s a tough game at the moment, but it’s exciting and people are enjoying the pub.”