A popular pub has officially reopened following a major £135,000 renovation during the winter.

The Neptunes Hall in Broadstairs marked the milestone with a celebration in the pub last week.

The Grade-II listed tavern in Harbour Street has a new landlord at the helm after Jonny Henfrey took over the pub just before Christmas and is now pulling pints behind the bar he visited for 20 years.

Mr Henfrey moved back to Margate in 2017 with his family after running a pub in Peckham and a pizza restaurant inside an old London bus.

He said: " I’ve known the Neptune for the past 15/20 years. I have family in the area so three, four times most years we’ve popped in. Whenever I visited I was always rather taken with the place.

“Now, as licensee, I am aware of the sense of history about it.

"The refurbishment by Shepherd Neame has been absolutely amazing, it has managed to retain the pub’s original character while also giving it a contemporary feel.”

To mark the launch, Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame visited the brewery's pub and presented a cheque for £1,000 to Ramsgate RNLI.

The pub, which was built in 1882, had an extensive refit with work to the inside and outside of the building.

Original features have been retained alongside new contemporary fittings and a revamped kitchen on the first floor with the toilets given a complete overhaul.

The courtyard garden has also been landscaped and new signs fitted to the front of the pub.

Food and music will remain at the heart of the pub's character and Mr Henfrey, who is also a performing DJ, says he is looking forward to playing a part in the Broadstairs Folk Week in August.

Mr Henfrey added: "Music will still very much be a focus for the pub and we look forward to being involved in Broadstairs Folk Week in August. I’m looking forward to the summer. Our garden is looking fabulous and it’s all very exciting."

The pub's summer menu featuring light dishes and rotisserie chicken and specialist wood-fired pizza launches in May.

"We’ve been very busy on the food front," Mr Henfrey says. "I’ve been making pizza for 20 years now."

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