The group, which was co-founded by Mark Robson and Mark Williams, purchased the community pub from Fuller’s. Red Mist has unveiled plans to invest £300,000 in the refurbishment of the 70-cover venue, which has been closed since January 2017.
Work is set to start on the Hampshire pub immediately, with the aim of opening for business in the summer. The Temple Inn, similar to others in the Red Mist Leisure portfolio, will serve fresh, seasonal and local British food, as well as offering a wide array of local ales, craft beers and gins.
The local community had been concerned about the future of the pub and the Liss Forest Resident’s Association had already formed a pub task force called Save Our Temple Inn (SOTI).
“It’s been a long road and none of this would have been possible without the positive support from the villagers of Liss Forest, who have demonstrated from the get–go that they wanted to keep a pub in the heart of the village that they could all love, frequent and be proud of,” said Robson, managing director of Red Mist Leisure.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the community to ensure that the Temple Inn is everything we all want it to be”.
The purchase of the Temple Inn follows the acquisition of the Wellington Arms in Stratfield Turgis, Hampshire.
The news of the purchase was welcomed by local residents who reported the news on their Facebook page on Wednesday 4 April.
It said: “Fantastic news today, Red Mist have finally completed their purchase of the Temple Inn.
“On behalf of the village we would like to thank both Red Mist and Fuller's for their perseverance in this extended sale process.”