Durham pub reopens after £100,000 refurbishment by Admiral Taverns

The Brawns Den in County Durham is due to reopen this week (5pm, 10 November) following a £100,000 investment and refurbishment by Admiral Taverns.

Formally known as the Morley Wood, the revitalised premises in Brandon will open under its original name the Brawns Den with new licensee Andrew Readman at the helm.

On top of its comprehensive internal and external refurbishment, the site has expanded its drinks range, upping the quality by offering cask ales, a wide selection of wine and reintroducing its gin and whisky menu.

Its food menu will include light bites and home-cooked meals based on locally-sourced produce, while the pub's entertainment will involve regular acoustic music nights and a quiz every Thursday.

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Familiar face

The licensee, Readman, has worked in the pub industry for many years and is a familiar face in the area as he previously ran other local venues, and managed the Brawns Den at one time.

He said: “I am thrilled to be back at the Brawns Den and incredibly excited by the opportunity to re-establish the pub as a hub for the local community.

“We have developed a great quality customer offer with delicious food and an excellent range of beer and I’m looking forward to welcoming back both our regulars and some new faces when we reopen our doors on Friday.”

Unique stamp

Steve Birkett, business development manager for Admiral Taverns, said: “In Andrew we have a very experienced and dedicated licensee who is well respected in the area. From the start of our relationship he has had a very clear vision for the pub and we have been delighted to support him to bring that to life, putting his own unique stamp on this great pub business.

“The transformation is really impressive and on behalf of the team at Admiral, I would like to congratulate Andrew and his team and wish them all the best for the grand opening night.”