Simon Salt, who also was once a Gordon Ramsay Scholar finalist, has acquired the lease of the White Bull at Gisburn, Lancashire, from Star Pubs & Bars.
He plans to offer a “classic quality food menu done well at affordable prices” at the village pub.
A £380,000 refurbishment began this week and will be completed in the second half of November, with the pub opening in time for Christmas.
Planned changes include four new letting rooms, in addition to the upgrading of the existing four, and the addition of a function room for private hire such as weddings, parties and business meetings.
Nine jobs are being created, including three chefs and six front-of-house staff.
Michelin-starred restaurants
Prior to taking on the White Bull, Salt worked in Michelin-starred establishments in Wales and Spain and at Lancashire venues Northcote Manor, in Langho, and the Devonshire Arms, in Beeley.
Salt said he had been looking for the right pub for a long time, and found the White Bull ticked all his boxes.
He explained: “It’s a lovely characterful pub in a great location. As the only pub in the village, it also has an important role to play with the community, which I’m looking forward to becoming a part of.
“The White Bull is going to be a real village pub where people can eat, drink, or do both. It will offer a classic quality food menu done well at affordable prices with specials changing on a regular basis.
Salt added: “I shall be sourcing ingredients from local suppliers and placing emphasis on the great produce in the area.”
Visionary chef
Chris Jowsey, trading director of Star Pubs & Bars, said: “We’re delighted that Simon has taken on the lease of the White Bull. He is undoubtedly a talented and visionary chef.
“His skills and the plans for the pub will be hugely beneficial for the village, broadening the pub’s appeal and ensuring its future at the heart of the community.”
Salt won North West Young Chef of the Year in 2008, and was a quarter-finalist on BBC Two’s MasterChef: The Professionals in 2010.