Trade up 50% at Surrey pub after 'old' revamp

A Surrey licensee has increased trade by 50% after an £80,000 revamp to make his pub look a century older.

Tenant Robin Wheeler wanted to take the New Town in Sutton "back to its roots as a traditional boozer". Young's funded the revamp.

The largest single expense was the furniture at around £16,000. Wheeler said he had "pretty much 100% input" on the redesign, working with Young's in-house designer Ed Hazard.

The inside is decked out with dark wood panels and the walls are painted dark green. The chairs and tables are old-fashioned dark wood and there are a few Chesterfield chairs.

Outside, decking is being installed and should be completed by the end of this week and the building has been repainted.

Wheeler made one of the wet-led pub's two bars into a public bar with music, games and entertainment, while taking the saloon bar "back to basics" with no music or TVs for people to chat over their drinks.

"I've felt for some time that pubs have lost their way," said Wheeler, who took the pub on in February last year. "This one was due for a refurb and Young's have been great, dropping in every other day.

"There aren't any pubs like this in Sutton so there was a niche in the market. Trade has gone through the roof — we're already exceeding figures from the height of summer."

There has been no advertising. Wheeler said people have noticed a difference and come in to see the pub.

There are plans to introduce a food offer at the pub, which currently just sells bar snacks.