A couple who poured £80,000 of their own money into a struggling pub are planning a ‘thank you’ barbecue to recognise the public help they received in turning around its fortunes.

First-time publicans Roger and Gillian Pitchford took the keys to The Royal Oak, in Manor Road, Kings Bromley, in January 2017. They will host the barbecue on Saturday, April 21, to mark the anniversary of the pub reopening. It had been closed for around six months.

The popular pub is owned by specialist leisure and retail property company NewRiver, and is among more than 200 pubs it bought from brewer Marston’s in 2013.

NewRiver, which added £10,000 to the £80,000 Roger and Gillian have invested in the pub, is supporting their barbecue with a donation of extra beer to help the event go with a swing.

Roger and Gillian Pitchford

NewRiver uses surplus land and unused car parking space at some of its pubs for convenience store developments, and in 2017 a Co-op store opened in part of The Royal Oak’s former car park, and has quickly become a valued community asset.

Before the Pitchfords' arrival, the pub had seen better days but villagers volunteered to help local businessman Roger, who is King Bromley born-and-bred, and his wife Gillian, who is originally from Scotland, make a start on the restoration project.

Volunteers began painting, decorating, gardening, cleaning, and donating pictures and furniture in February 2017, enabling the husband-and-wife team to reopen the pub last April.

Gillian said: “The pub was looking quite tired and was in desperate need of a good clean and brush-up.

“It had a very good reputation until about 10 years ago and, as well as lots of village regulars, would attract people from a good 10-mile radius, including from Lichfield and Burton. We’ve contributed £80,000 of our own money to make the pub warm and homely, but couldn’t have achieved what we have without the wonderful, staunch support of locals, who pulled on rubber gloves and picked up paint brushes and got stuck in.

"They’ve all been so generous with their time, not to mention their own possessions, which have helped decorate and furnish the interior.

“It seems only right that we should thank them, so Roger and I are planning the barbeque. The whole village is invited and we’d love to see people from the surrounding area come, too. The Royal Oak, Kings Bromley, is once again a welcoming, family-friendly pub, that’s getting good reviews again.”

David Shipton, asset development director for NewRiver’s pub portfolio, said: “Roger and Gillian have both worked extremely hard in the last 12 months to revitalise The Royal Oak, and I can see it once again being the sort of pub that people are prepared to travel to, to enjoy good food and drink.

“The community spirit and generosity of locals is truly heartwarming, and Kings Bromley villagers have a pub they can be proud of.

“NewRiver is always keen to help and support publicans, like Roger and Gillian, who possess the drive and determination to run successful and sustainable businesses, and we backed them by adding £10,000 to the money they’ve invested.”

The event starts at 2pm, and most of the food on offer will be free.