2 weeks Ago
When this newspaper , husband and wife team Sandra and Mark Burrows were reeling after a difficult first few years that saw them contemplate closing the boozer at the end of 2023. A year on, business is beginning to boom and Sandra was feeling bullish when she spoke to the earlier this week. The 54-year-old said: "I've noticed a real increase in people coming in and things are really getting better in terms of the volume of customers.
" She puts this down to word of mouth from loyal customers and the rave reviews the pub's food gets - saying that the burgers are often described as "the best in the town". The South African couple faced a baptism of fire when they first took over the the pub formerly known as The Leviathon, as the UK was plunged into lockdown just one day after their arrival in November 2020. Those tricky first few years seem to be in the past now, and Sandra is hoping that new neighbours will bring a further boost to footfall.
"We're hoping that the new flats across the road are going to start to make a huge impact as people move into them", she explained. Sandra said: "There a lot of very sport-heavy pubs near us so we want to differentiate ourselves and create a different atmosphere, one where you don't have people constantly screaming at a screen!" Being in a residential area does have its drawbacks, with nearby homes meaning live music is off the cards, something Sandra admits is "a bit of a problem". Despite this, the pub's team are thinking outside of the box and have plans that include bottomless brunch events and putting on painting classes.
This is in addition to the South African-themed barbecues that they started running last summer. Sandra and Mark are hoping to build on a bright start and make 2025 the year that The Prince George is firmly established as a family and dog-friendly pub for the whole community..
