Northumberland venue The Apple Inn set to reopen its doors as North East Pub of the Year

The Apple Inn at Lucker, near Belford, won the prestigious accolade at the North East Tourism Awards held during lockdown.

Johny Johnson, who runs the Apple Inn and nearby Apple Core with his wife, Lauren, said: “We have decided that we will open The Apple Inn on July 4 and see how the restrictions affect us.

“We are anticipating we will be busy but think it is sensible to open one venue at a time and take it from there.

“We will be managing our social media to inform customers of our future intentions.

“We plan on seeing how the first few weeks go at The Apple Inn before deciding when to open The Apple Core.”

Judges praised the ‘exceptional’ service and standards of The Apple Inn when awarding it gold.

Johny is hoping the increased profile brought about by the award will help it through the uncertain weeks and months ahead.

Speaking during lockdown, he said: “The awards are a really important way for us, as a small family business, to let people know just what we offer to people visiting Northumberland.”

The Apple Core will be getting refurbished when restrictions are lifted to turn it into an Italian themed restaurant and wedding venue.

The businesses are part of the Stablewood portfolio which includes Stablewood Coastal Cottages and the Beau Monde five-star spa facility.

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