New managers bring local gin, ales, and welcoming atmosphere to old Dawlish pub
Katie and Jon officially signed the lease on 1 June, and have given the pub back its original name when it first opened, 'The Gresham House Inn'.
Katie said: "I've worked in pubs before - Jon worked his way up from being a glass collector at 14, became a deputy manager, then a landlord, so he's been in the pub trade a long time.
"It was always something that I'd fancied doing, and we happened to hear about this through the guy Jon plays golf with.
"He's one of the guys that owns the building, and we heard that it might become available, so we put our heads together, went to see them, and they really liked the ideas we had for it.
"We've done a fair few renovations - we opened up the bar because it was quite dark in here, and one of the windows was boarded up so we pulled all that out, put up industrial-type shelves, and next week we're having the pumps removed as we don't like the high pumps as it blocks you from the customer. We're going for a low bar, which should really open it up.
"We've added a big projector screen for sports - we're very much rugby fans, and we've had all the Euros on. We've also got a smaller screen, and all the sound is linked together.
"Eventually, we're hoping that we can have some vinyls so people can pick and choose their own music on the record player."
They hope to be able to serve food in the near future, opting for a traditional menu utilising local produce.
They have a selection of local ales on tap, including Deckhand, Templer, and Portside from Teignmouth Brewery, Gun Dog from Teignworthy Brewery, and Pride of Dartmoor from Black Tor Brewery.
They also have a collection of local ciders, together with Badlake gin, which is distilled in a thatched cottage on Badlake Hill in Dawlish.
Katie continued: "It's a friendly pub with a welcoming atmosphere - everyone who's come in has said how they felt that it's a really welcoming pub.
"Sometimes in a small town pub it can feel a little bit cliquey, but people have said how open this pub feels - and that's what we were aiming for, so it's nice to have that feedback."
The Gresham House Inn can be found here on Google Maps.
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