Portchester pub uses lockdown to undergo £25,000 transformation

The Cormorant, in Castle Street, has seen new flooring fitted across the premises, as well as refurbished fixtures including a £500 electronic dart board.

Landlord Mick Hardy, who took over the pub in 2017, said using lockdown to undertake the extensive building work was an opportunity ‘too good to miss’.

He said: ‘I think the pub hasn’t had a refurbishment in about five years, so it’s good to have the chance to get the work done.

‘It’s quite a bit of a change.’

New fixtures have been added to both the kitchen and the toilets in the pub, which is owned by the Stonegate Pub Company.

The refurbishment has also seen the outside of pub repainted – and the landlord has launched a competition to encourage others to pickup a paint brush.

The pub is holding an art competition, with the winning entry set to receive £100 and be displayed in the pub, while second and third place will receive a vouchers for a meal when the pub reopens.

Speaking about the art competition, Mick said: ‘We’ve never done anything like this, but wanted to give locals something to do during lockdown.

‘So far we have received lots of different entries – a few of Portchester castle, a few of the pub, and a nice one of Wicor Rec in oil paints.’

While lockdown has presented new opportunities, Mick, who owns Portchester-based construction firm North Port Construction, is keen to reopen an welcome back his 23 members of staff who have been placed on furlough.

And the landlord remains ‘optimistic’ that the pub will return to its pre-lockdown trade when it reopens.

The 55-year-old said: ‘I’m sure people are keen to return to the pub.

‘The big issue is whether social distancing drops to one metre.

‘We have rearranged so I have 24 tables outside with two-metre distancing – I’ve even taken a small part of the car park and cordoned it off and put tables there.

‘But we will lose a few tables inside if we reopen and the two-metre distancing is still in place.’

Entry details for the art competition can be found on the pub’s Facebook page until the competition closes on Saturday, June 20.