Pictures: White Lion relaunches as community pub

Following months of negotiations with owners Palmers Brewery, a hugely successful public fundraising campaign and weeks of hard work by volunteers, the White Lion in Broadwindsor relaunched as a community pub, opening its doors at 6pm on Friday night.

Kate Staff, whose parents live locally, will be running the pub with her daughters, Chloe and Louise.

Picture: Graham Hunt Photography

The pub closed last summer after the previous tenants took over a pub in Somerset. Unable to find a landlord to take it over, Palmers approached the parish council to see if the community would be interested in running it. Thus began a local effort to take on the pub.

Around £50,000 was raised for refurbishment and working capital through public donations, grants, funding from the parish council, a contribution from Palmers Brewery and events.

The tenancy agreement for the White Lion was signed by committee members in February and work has been going on behind the scenes ever since to get the pub ready to open.

Sadly, one man who was not there to join the celebrations last night was David Leader, the parish council vice chairman who spearheaded the community pub campaign. He died suddenly last month at the age of 64.

His widow Elaine, with their children Ryan and Rosie ceremoniously cut the ribbon to declare the pub open for business, below.

Picture: Graham Hunt Photography

Members of the management committee lined up to welcome everyone to the new White Lion.

First customers were Adam Slater who bought a pint of Palmers Tally Ho! and Mike Eltherington who enjoyed a pint of Palmers Copper.

Resident poet, Peter Roe performed his poem, written specifically for the event, ‘Heart of a Lion'.

The pub will be open from:

Tuesday to Friday, from 6pm -11pm

Saturdays, 11am-11pm

Sundays, noon-10.30pm

On Tuesday nights, the pub will not be serving food but customers are welcome to take in their fish and chips from Nat’s van that comes to the village every week.