On the day of the reopening, Lyn and Neil Spiers at The Bull’s Neck in Holbeach.

Two pubs buck the trend by reopening

Customers have welcomed investment in two pubs, which reopened on Good Friday.(April 14)

New landlords at The Bull’s Neck in Holbeach are Neil and Lyn Spiers, while in Long Sutton, Sean Portass and Dana Garkavaya have reopened The Ship.

Sean Portass and fiancée Dana Garkavaya at The Ship in Long Sutton.

For Neil and Lyn, who previously ran a hotel on the north-west coast, their choice of new venture was a toss-up between The Bull’s Neck and The Lamb and Flag in Whaplode, but they preferred the one in a bit more rural location.

Neil (54) said on Tuesday: “It was a busy weekend. Most of the regulars from before are coming back in, which is good.”
The pub has four real ales and hopes to open its restaurant next month.

Meanwhile, Long Sutton firm STP Properties has invested £150,000 in the refurbishment of The Ship, its second pub in the town after Palmers Ale House and Kitchen.

Sean said it had been a “brilliant” opening weekend despite a teething problem with some pumps.
 
He added: “That’s what the opening weekend was for, to iron out an issues. We open properly this weekend.”
 
The four-day weekend included bands playing.

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