A village pub near Ledbury hopes to keep going from “strength to strength” with the opening of a refurbished function room.

The Royal Oak in Much Marcle wants to make a name for itself as a wedding venue following the renovation.

Hannah Slade, who took over the pub just over a year ago, said: “We’ve just finished renovating the function room and will be promoting it as a free wedding venue for hire in 2023.

Hereford Times: Hannah Slade, owner of the Royal Oak in Much MarcleHannah Slade, owner of the Royal Oak in Much Marcle (Image: Hannah Slade)

“People will have to pay for food and drink and there’ll need to be a minimum number of people - 50 or something - but essentially we are offering the function room for free.

“We only hosted one wedding last year but I’d just taken over and it wasn’t something I was pushing.

“We needed time to settle in and to be honest, it wasn’t a room I was proud to show off - it was dated and tired, with that red, patterned carpet you’ve seen in old pubs everywhere.

Hereford Times: The Royal Oak is hoping for more wedding bookings in 2023The Royal Oak is hoping for more wedding bookings in 2023 (Image: Hannah Slade)

“Now it’s lovely and fresh, and it’s got real character. It has its own bar and toilets, and when you open the doors there are spectacular views of the countryside, plus there is parking for 100 cars.”

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The pub is appealing to families with a big toy area and a monthly quiz night. It has also started hosting food pop-ups, with Herefordshire favourites The Beefy Boys making a monthly appearance.

“We’ve been going from strength to strength, which is pretty good considering the times,” said Hannah.

Hereford Times: Hannah says the function room was looking a little dated before the refurbHannah says the function room was looking a little dated before the refurb (Image: Hannah Slade)

“The next few months are a concern, because we don’t know what’s going to happen and it’s a quiet time of the year anyway, but the functions side of things should keep us going.”

The Royal Oak hosts a number of car meets throughout the year - including a vintage car rally on New Year’s Day that saw 140 vehicles descend on the pub.

The event, organised by the Vintage Sports-Car Club, is one of two held each year at the Oak.

Staff serve up a hot buffet lunch and club members are able to take advantage of the pub’s range of low and non-alcoholic drinks.