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Joint owners Stefan Berry and James Skipworth

THE Daily Echo could hardly have been quicker to feature the new incarnation of the Roebuck Inn in Winchester.

James Skipworth and Stefan Berry have taken over the Greene King pub on Stockbridge Road and re-opened after a lightning eight-day closure.

They reopened last month and Scene South visited the day after the launch party which saw the pub packed out.

The new bosses have given the Roebuck a radical fresh look and an even fresher menu.

So gone are the fitted carpets and ageing décor and in come wooden floors, sofas and matt finish pale walls. The dart board remains, however.

The pub had a reputation as having an elderly clientele but the new bosses are keen to embrace everyone. "We are not targeting one audience. We would like to be somewhere where you can bring your first date or hold your 40th wedding anniversary," said Stefan.

"We just want to create somewhere that is friendly and welcoming and that people will want to tell their friends about," added James.

Obviously these days, food is a crucial part of the mix. James said: "Before us a lot of the food here was freezer to microwave' for £5. That will change. Almost everything we do is fresh, even the tartare sauce is homemade. We were up at dawn to visit Southampton vegetable market."

It means the food will be a bit more expensive than in many pubs but still cheaper than Winchester's many renowned foodie pubs.

Initial reaction to the revamp was favourable even among more mature customers who may have sniffed at the minimalist décor that James called "traditional-modern". A party of pensioners in the University of the Third Age gave the makeover the thumbs up.

James, 34, and Stefan, 26, bring experience gained at the White Star Tavern in Southampton and the Bugle in Hamble.

They hope the environs of Fulflood and Weeke will provide an evening clientele and aim to capture a slice of the business market at lunchtimes.

"If people order by 11am it means that they are in less of a rush during their lunch hour. It will take the hassle out of it," said James.

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