The Dockyard, The Liquorist and Slug and Lettuce among Stonegate bars and pubs reopening on April 12, including dozens across Portsmouth, Fareham, and Gosport

The company – which merged with pub-chain Ei last March - will reopen 22 of its venues across Portsmouth Fareham, and Gosport when Covid-19 restrictions allow outdoor service on April 12.

Colin Hawkins, operations director for Stonegate, praised publicans and bar managers for continuing to support their local communities with food donations and online events throughout the latest lockdown.

He said: ‘We’ve seen the most difficult year in most of our living memory over the last 12 months, but I’m delighted to say, against adversity, our teams continue to surprise us with their creativity, drive and ingenuity when it comes to making a difference to their local communities.’

Pubs and bars reopening in Portsmouth include:

Slug And Lettuce

Popworld/The Fleet

The Dockyard

The Liquorist

The Fountain

The Painters

The Compass Rose

The Rose In June

The Sunshine

Thatchers Bar

The Jolly Sailor

The Northcote Hotel

The Churchillian

In Gosport, the following venues will reopen:

The Green Dragon

The Seahorse

The Queens Head

The Three Tuns

While pubs reopening across Fareham include:

The Queens Head

Slug and Lettuce

Sir Joseph Paxton

The Ironmaster

The Cormorant

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to our online coverage, including Pompey, with 70 per cent fewer adverts for less than 20p a day.