Admiral Taverns' The White Horse in Gosport set to re-open following £239,000 refurbishment

The White Horse, on Nobles Avenue, will be welcoming customers once again from March 8 after being closed due to a big refurbishment totaling £239,000. The pub has had a complete face-lift and it has received a full redecoration of the main bar area and the function room, which includes brand new flooring fixtures, fittings and furnishings - the oustide area has also got fresh lighting and signage, as well as a spruce up of the garden.

Behind the bar is community hero and passionate operator, Philip Coleman, who has lived in the area for almost two years with his long-term partner, Leigh, who grew up in Gosport. Philip has a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry, having been trained by his father at 20 years old and was previously running bars on holiday camps for four years. He is keen, alongside Leigh, to bring the pub to the heart of the community and create an active social hub for residents to enjoy. Philip Coleman, operator of The White Horse is excited about the reopening and said: “The pub is looking fantastic – I really can’t believe how much its transformed already! I can’t wait to get behind the bar as the operator, show off the pub’s brand-new look and welcome new and old customers in. We will work hard to support the community in any way we can, and we’ll be starting off by collecting food for a local food bank, and donations to get a defibrillator installed.

"Pubs are the hub of their community, and we can’t wait to be the hub of Gosport.”

The pub will be kick starting its first night back in the business with a live DJ set and karaoke night which will start from 7pm on March 8.

The White Horse will run a busy schedule of regular entertainment to bring the community together including karaoke, quiz and bingo nights and will host both darts and pool teams. The pub will also boast Sky Sports, TNT and horse racing channels and looks forward to introducing various fundraising initiatives to support local charities. Specifically, the operators will be working with a fellow local resident to help supply meals to members of the local community in need.  

Matthew Gurney, Operations Director for Proper Pubs, said: “I’m really excited about the opening of The White Horse, and especially to welcome Philip as the operator. The team is working extremely hard on this refurbishment and it’s looking incredible already. We’re just finalising those finishing touches to ensure its ready to open in just a few weeks’ time.

"On behalf of the Proper Pubs team, we would like to wish our community hero, Philip, every inch of success for the future in making The White Horse a fantastic hub of the community.”

For more information about the pub, click here.