A LANDLORD who revitalised the fortunes of a Kendal pub has taken on a second establishment in the town with the hope of giving it a similar boost.

Tony Greenwood, who took over the Old Fleece Inn, at Highgate, with his wife Clare has now been given the keys to the New Inn, some 500 yards up the road.

The couple moved in to the Olde Fleece Inn in February having moved to South Lakeland from York, and Mr Greenwood now describes it as 'the place to be'.

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"We opened the Olde Fleece Inn on a Friday night and took £79. Now, typically, we take £2,500," he said. "The Fleece is going from strength to strength; the growth has been overwhelming.

"It's absolutely flying. On Fridays and Saturdays it can be four or five deep at the bar. We'll be there for many years to come."

Following the success at their first pub, the couple were offered the chance by Punch Taverns to take on a second establishment, and could not turn it down. After shaking hands on the tenancy, The New Inn had its reopening on Friday (July 14).

"It's a stunning little pub," added Mr Greenwood. "All it needs is someone running it proactively and who is prepared to stay for the long run.

"It's a completely different concept to the Fleece which is at the stage where it's the place to be, it's geared towards the younger generation.

"This is more people sat at the bar, chatting with low-level background music."

A new menu has been introduced at the New Inn as Mr Greenwood and his family look to rebuild the reputation of the pub.

A pool table and a jukebox have been added to the recently-refurbished venue, which has three letting rooms and a beer garden.

Mr Greenwood added: "I don't think it's going to be as big a battle as we had at the Fleece – we had a difficult first couple of months there – but we've made our mark now and we're looking forward to doing the same here."