A historic hotel and pub is reopening under new management with a promise to give the town back its local.

The King’s Arms Hotel & Restaurant at 40 Market Square, Bicester, will be holding an opening party on Friday, June 9, after new owners took over in April.

A spokesperson for the pub said: “On our opening night, guests will be met with a great atmosphere, crisp beer, fresh cocktails and perfectly poured prosecco.

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“We also have Grant Neal, a local singer, playing for us from 8pm until late and we are currently working on a food offering. However, that’s to be confirmed.”

The pub has had a light refurbishment since its previous owners closed shop in January, including a new kitchen along with a new extraction system, bar pumps and a cellar.

The front terrace will also be undergoing some changes, including new tables and chairs, umbrellas and wind breakers.

The venue will be repainted in its original cream and black colours.

The hotel rooms have all had a deep clean with new linen in place, steamed carpets and mattresses, as well as fluffy pillows and duvets.

The spokesperson added: “We are thrilled to be operating such a wonderful site, and we’re very excited about the opening.

“We did have a soft launch opening the bar and the rooms for now, with plans to start food in the coming weeks.

“We just want to give Bicester back its ‘local’ and feel that we have had a good head start. The future is exciting across all areas.

“The venue has 15 staff so far and is looking for more, and we have a familiar face in the business, Ros White, who came back to work for us as our general manager. People are very excited to see her.”

The spokesperson said their ethos for running a pub well is crisp beer, delicious fresh food, a happy team, great service and a vibrant venue.

They added: “I would recommend trying a Madri or a Peroni all the way, I will be spending a lot of time on site getting to know the locals and tourists alike.

“We will operate this pub in the same way we run all our venues, by simply being a good honest establishment, nothing more, nothing less.”

The premises was first given grade II listing on March 20, 1970, and dates back to the 17th century.

It’s a three-storey building of stucco, with venetian windows with moulded wooden frames, one fronting the London Road and one the courtyard.

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1