Former Roaring Meg, Newark, taken over and given new lease of life as The Vine pub and Barnbygate Cafe

A pub which was at risk of losing its licence has been taken over — and brought back to life as a family-friendly venue.

The former Roaring Meg, on Barnbygate, has a new owner, new vision, and a new offering.

It has been renamed The Vine — the building’s name prior to becoming the Roaring Meg — fully renovated, and diversified to include a café.

Bar manager Yas Labidi said: “It’s really good to see a pub brought back into life and once again being the focus of the local community.

“We have had lots new customers that have literally lived on the street for 30, 40 years plus that had never set foot in building until we reopened and now they are regular customers.”

Inside, the pub has been kitted out with a range of more premium beers, greenery, artwork, and a new party-ready function room space.

One of the rooms has been transformed into the welcoming Barnbygate Café, open from 8.30am to 12pm from Wednesday to Sunday.

It focuses on “quality local ingredients, cooked well”, with meats direct from local butchers and barista coffee forming part of the comprehensive breakfast menu.

Head chef, Matt Edgington, said: “The focus of the café is to source the best local ingredients and cook them well.

“So far we are getting really good feedback so hope to see new customers soon.”

From this week the pub will also offer £10 Sunday dinners, pizza, and a Father’s Day breakfast deal on June 15.

Outside, the beer garden has also been decorated — ready for the warmer months.

The Vine aims to be a “friendly, family pub” and appeal to a wider customer base in the area, with no brewery ties, and is the new owner’s only pub.

It is hoped the new lease of life can help stop the long-time pub building being redeveloped into residential properties, and keep its legacy going.

With the main rooms refurbished, attention has now turned to the upstairs, where the former function room will be transformed into a games room with pool, smart darts, table tennis, arcade machines and more.

Development of a number of rooms of hostel-style bed and breakfast accommodation is also underway.

The pub has also joined the Pubwatch scheme to promote safety at the venue.