The Twisted Oak, Ide, has made its pint-pulling return to the Family Pub scene following the devastation left last year by a group of squatters.
The pub's floors had to be dug up, carpets replaced, and the all-important piping system for the alcohol pumps has had to be completely re-installed.
The project to re-open the doors after the previous owner's departure was initially proposed to be carried out in December. But after squatters settled in the building, located on the edge of the village of Ide, the date had to be pushed back as the 'severe' damage caused to the site had to be rectified.
The pub has been under the long-term ownership of brewery Your Friendly Pub Co, and is now run by a completely new management team from its sister-pub The Farmers Union in the city centre, alongside the two former owners of The Riverside Inn, Bovey Tracey.
One of the team of The Twisted Oak's managing Directors, Lyn Davies, spoke to the Echo on taking on the daunting project:
"We've had to completely transform it. Skip after skip of rubbish had to be removed. If we'd moved in December hardly any work would have had to be done."
Herself and the other new pub directors had to fork out their own £40,000 to patch-up damage to the site, alongside financial help from the brewery to repair the fire alarm system, replace the broken piping for the beer pumps and decorate the rooms with a 'modern and contemporary' feel.
It's said the squatters had put holes into the gas pipes and completely wrecked the kitchen area:
"The previous owner had left the electricity on; the squatters were living the Life of Riley in here, cooking their own meals using the kitchen."
Mrs Davies has said their aim has been to create an 'extra family-friendly' pub. The pub's original skittle alley has been completely removed, being replaced by an indoor children's play area.
However, certain features such as the cosy open fireplace and outdoor play area have been preserved, with only minor maintenance needed to get them to a state fit for patron use.
The previous owner, publican Leo Wang, blamed high running costs on his decision to leave the establishment before the squatters arrived; despite the Echo reporting earlier last year the pub's long-time battle to improve hygiene rating, which for a long-period was rated as 'zero.' Mr Wang claimed that was not the reason for abandoning the business.
Lyn is ultimately confident despite the setbacks and the pub's history, and they've already been taking birthday and wedding bookings: "With the wind behind us we reckon The Twisted Oak will be put right back to where it belongs, back on top of its game".
