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Owner of The Wheatsheaf in Swineshead aims to reopen by the end of the year




A village pub-restaurant hopes to re-open and be ready for business by the end of the year – making ‘dogs as welcome as kids and grandma’.

Restoring Swineshead’s The Wheatsheaf to its former glory has been a labour of love for Philip Foster, who is using money from his pension fund to bring the long-closed landmark back to use.

It is hoped the first stage of a three-phase re-opening can be achieved by the end of December, with the three-storey venue fully operational by next summer.

The Wheatsheaf in Swineshead hopes to re-open later this year
The Wheatsheaf in Swineshead hopes to re-open later this year

“I’ve had a good life and a nice family. Basically I’m eventually going to pop my clogs and it’ll be nice to leave something that’s worth more than me,” said Mr Foster who, along with wife Debbie, hopes to create a welcoming venue that locals can help shape.

“When we identified to everybody we’d bought the place we got a lot of very positive responses from people wanting it open and giving us suggestions.

“When we start to install the beers we have and what food we should serve, we’ll be asking to locals to tell us what they want, so that we provide is something they’re after.

The Wheatsheaf in Swineshead
The Wheatsheaf in Swineshead

“We’re providing a high end restaurant, with dining rooms, with pub food and function room food. So we’ll cover all price ranges.”

When fully open, Mr Foster hopes The Wheatsheaf can offer something for everyone.

“There will be menus for carnivores like me, a vegan menu for the tree huggers like my wife and a dog menu,” he explained.

Work is ongoing at Swineshead's The Wheatsheaf
Work is ongoing at Swineshead's The Wheatsheaf

“You can bring your dog along for dinner as they will be allowed in the main bar and snug, but not the restaurant.

“Almost everybody in Swineshead seems to have a dog, and I have a dog. So we want to make dogs as welcome as kids and grandma.”

Mr Foster added that he is keen to work with the neighbouring Green Dragon pub, allowing both venues to offer different attractions.

Mr Foster says he will work closely with the neighbouring Green Dragon
Mr Foster says he will work closely with the neighbouring Green Dragon

Mr Foster - who received listed building consent in 2021, allowing him to renovate the Grade II-listed property which had been closed for around five years – originally hoped to have phase one completed by October.

However, his project is currently awaiting a report on damp by Heritage England before electric work can continue.

Now he hopes the ground floor snug and main bar, plus the top floor flat where he and Debbie will live, can be opened by the end of the year.

The second phase, which includes three first floor dining rooms and additional toilets, including a fully wheelchair accessible bathroom, is planned to be completed ‘two to three months’ after with the final stage – the function room – completed a further three months down the line.

“We’re hoping as close to Christmas as we can to get the ground floor open,” Mr Foster, who previously ran his own specialist consultancy business, added.

“I’m trying to get back to as many of the original features that it used to have prior to some of the renovations done to it.”



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