A COUNTRY pub not far from Malvern that closed its doors earlier this year will be reopening at the weekend.

The Red Lion at Stiffords Bridge on the main Hereford-Worcester Road has been taken over by new tenants Steve Moorman and Viki Kuhlke, and they will be opening the doors at 6pm on Saturday, June 17.

“We want the Red Lion to be a traditional village pub, selling good beer and food”, says Steve.”The pub should be the hub of a community, and we want to involve as many local groups and societies as possible.”

Originally from the Black Country, Mr Moorman has a strong background in keeping ales and was licensee at the Port 'n' Ale, near Dudley, which featured 14 rolling guest beers.

A founder member of the Black Country section of the British Institute of Innkeeping, he has kept over 3,000 different cask ales and is enjoying adding more to the list.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the standard and variety of the local breweries in this area," he said. “ I always like to meet the brewers personally and discuss the various options with them."

And his partner will be introducing home-cooked steak and ale pies to the menu with cottage pie, lasagne and chilli also now being home-made.

She said: "The response to the pies in our previous pub was amazing. It was sometimes difficult to keep up with demand."

The couple have also built a new website which will go live soon, and are keeping customers updated via social media.

Open mic nights and entertainment are planned, along with community events and the revival of the Cherry Wake tradition at the pub. Sunday roasts will also be available once the kitchen is fully operational.