A landlord has explained his plans for a pub he has reopened - and revealed when the kitchen could be opening.

The Patriot’s Arms in Chiseldon closed in 2023 after then-boss Sunny Patel departed and is currently just serving drinks.

A new managing couple, who asked not yet to be named, hope the pub will be a “community hub”, and plans a raft of works before opening the kitchen in eight to 12 weeks.

One manager said: “For years and years this place was full of families playing in the park - that is what we want to bring back.”

The 'Pat’s Arms' will include a bar, quiet dining area, and a garden with a children’s play area which the manager is currently constructing.

The manager hopes these three spaces will make the pub a place for everyone - those wanting a quiet family meal, and where “children are happy and parents are happy” to spend time.

It will serve food, but as the only pub in Chiseldon the manager is keen for it not to be a restaurant, saying: “It’s not about huge profits or flipping tables.”

He adds: “It will be a place where all come to meet up, where people bring their families, their dogs - a social point.”

The pub recently received a zero food hygiene rating, but management said they were not serving food then and the messy kitchen has since been cleared.

The kitchen is being refurbished and will be reinspected once the works are done. Food will be “homecooked meals, nothing fancy.”

The dining area will have bi-fold doors to separate it from the bar, which can be opened for events. There will also be a covered children’s area with games and activities.

There are hopes for a grand opening when all the works are finished. Some are already complete, with help from the local community.

Businesses, such as Wiltshire Timber and Rapid Hire, have lent equipment or materials in return for some advertising in the completed pub.

Meanwhile, locals have provided some monetary support, as well as moral support.

The manager enthused: “The regulars have been fantastic - they think the plans sound great.”

The managing couple are keeping an eye on the pub’s history, returning it to its previous name of the Patriot’s Arms after briefly being called the Smokehouse.

He said: “It's been a community pub for years - hence it is called The Patriot’s.”

The Patriot’s Arms is currently open for drinks, seven days a week.