Portsmouth pub The Artillery Arms fulfills mum-of-three's lifelong dream of becoming a landlady - and she has big plans

The Artillery Arms in Hester Road welcomed new landlady Katie Jones, her husband, and their three young children to the Milton boozer last Friday.

Katie is no stranger to the pub’s regulars, as she served behind the bar for nine years before taking on the lease of the venue.

The 33-year-old said: ‘This is my first little adventure of owning a pub. But working here for nine years, it’s always been my home away from home.

‘It has been my life long ambition and it has finally come true. So far it’s really living up to the dream.

‘My 11-year-old son turned around to me and said, “well done mum, you’ve stuck with your dream and now you’re living it”.’

Pub owner Triple fff Brewery will be putting up the cash to give the pub a revamp over the next year, providing an ‘old fashioned feel with a modern twist’, according to its new landlady.

Katie said: ‘I have got big plans. Through the brewery we’re hoping to have full renovations of the outside, we will be refurbishing the garden, sort out the furniture internally – over the course of the next year it will be having a full face-lift.’

The brewery keeps the pub stocked with a range of its beers including its award winning bitter Moondance.

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The pub also offers a range of guest brewery beers, currently stocking drinks from Red Cat Brewery in Winchester.

At present The Artillery Arms doesn’t offer food but Katie says she is in talks with a chef to come to join her staff of eight.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic hammering the pub sector over the last 18 months, Katie says she had ‘no hesitations at all’ taking on the pub, as she was made for the lifestyle.

She said: ‘People have got to realise its a 24-7, seven days week, 365 days a year lifestyle. It’s not just a job.

‘But it’s gone really, really well so far – the community has been really supportive.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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