New owners of Millstone Inn at Barnack, between Stamford and Peterborough, announce plans for fusion food restaurant in converted barn

The new owners of a village pub have unveiled plans to create a restaurant for fusion food.

Paul McSorley reopened the Millstone Inn at Barnack in July 2021 after a £250,000 refurbishment of the Grade II-listed pub and courtyard as well as the conversion of a barn into a private function space, The Lounge.

After three years in charge, the Stamford businessman has sold the business to Air and Dusk Hospitalities which runs restaurants in Cambridge and Harrow-on-the-Hill in London.

“At the moment there is not much use for the main hall, just private parties so I want to use that more,” said Air and Dusk Hospitalities spokesperson Paul Sharma.

“In the longer run, the plan is to convert it into a nice cosy restaurant to hang out because we have a nice courtyard and a lovely pub so I want to make the most of the area.

“We will probably be doing some fusion food there, like Chinese, a few Indian curries, Japanese sushi.”

Paul has assured customers it will business as usual in the pub, but wants to extend its Wednesday to Sunday openings to six days a week in the coming weeks.

Plans for a 45-60 seater restaurant in The Lounge will be put on hold until the end of the year after customers are consulted.

“We’ll keep everything in mind, but definitely pub exactly the same or even better,” he said.

“Good customer service is the key and that’s what I’m going to focus on.

“There are things to work on, but it’s exciting.”

Paul has plenty of experience in the local hospitality trade having run Nepalese restaurants in Stamford, Market Deeping, Bourne, Peterborough and Spalding.

Having sold these, and now living in Stamford, he is keen to open a new business back closer to home.

“It’s definitely a challenge for me being from a different background, and not running too many pubs in the past, but I have accepted it and I will do it,” he said.