Alison and Simon Mason take on The George Hotel in Bridport

Alison and Simon Mason have taken on The George Hotel on South Street, Bridport, and hope to reopen the pub at the end of October/early November.

The couple, both aged 52, say they’re excited to get stuck in, and have been amazed by the friendliness and helpfulness of locals as they settle into the area.

They wanted to move be closer to family, and, while treating themselves to a break in Bridport, spotted The George was closed and looking for new licensees as they explored the town.

“Everyone we spoke to was so enthusiastic about the town and about the pub,” Alison explained. “The pub seems to touch the heart of all the locals in Bridport. We met with Palmers who gave us a tour of the brewery and were very welcoming.”

The couple are no strangers to the industry, having moved from Cilmery, Wales, where they ran the Prince Llewelyn. There, chef Simon was famed for his award-winning roast dinners and the couple were proud of their seafood specials – both of which they plan to introduce at The George.

Google Maps (Image: Google Maps)

While the menu is important, Alison and Simon are keen the pub is a friendly and welcoming place treasured by locals. They plan to live on site with their two dogs, and customers can expect to meet them too as the pub continues to be dog-friendly.

“We’ve got lots of ideas and plans,” said Alison. “But we also want to hear what people want and are open to ideas. We know locals love the pub and it comes with a lot of history. We definitely want to do more front of house ourselves so we can meet our customers and get to know everyone. The inside is beautiful and we want to keep it lovely rather than making major changes to the inside.

“Everyone has been so lovely and nice – really helpful. When we posted online we were looking for staff we had loads of people get in touch. We’re looking forward to this venture and welcoming the people of Bridport back to their pub.”

A number of roles are still available at The George and you can contact Alison on georgehotel4@gmail.com.