Arnold pub closing for £325k refurbishment

A pub in Arnold is set to close for a £325,000 refurbishment that owners say will give it a new lease of life.

The investment at the Major Oak on Rolleston Drive is being undertaken by Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars and Midlands pub operators Garry Astle and Marc Kershaw, who also run The Three Wheatsheaves in Lenton and the Nags Head at Bobbers Mill.

The project will transform the tired local into a top quality family-friendly pub that caters for the whole community. It will have a sports room, function facilities, garden with children’s play equipment and a new kitchen to enable the introduction of food.  

Garry Astle said: “We’re giving the Major Oak the full works. It’s a huge pub and will have it all with something for everyone.”

The Major Oak closes after last orders on August 4 and is scheduled to reopen in early September, creating 10 new jobs.

Kelly Mitchell  – who has worked in pubs around the city for 20 years – will take the helm as the new licensee. 

The overhaul will completely renovate the outside of the imposing 1960s pub with new signage, lighting and floral displays, enhancing the neighbourhood. A makeover of the large front garden will further improve the pub’s appearance, adding seating for 120 and new planting as well as swings, a slide and a permanent bouncy castle.

The pub will have a spacious bar and a separate comfortable lounge with its own toilets that will double as a function room for parties, celebrations and business meetings. Sports enthusiasts will be well looked after, too, with a dedicated games zone kitted out with a new pool table, darts and big screens showing Sky Sports. With the pub’s emphasis on sport, Kelly is appealing for anyone interested in setting up teams for darts and other games to get in touch.

Thanks to a new kitchen, the pub will introduce an all-day menu focused on traditional pub classics such as pies, lasagne, and fish & chips. Homemade burgers will be a specialty, and there will be a menu for children.

New landlady Kelly said she wants to make the Major Oak a “hub of the community”.

She said: “I feel very lucky. The Major Oak is incredibly friendly – I’ve never been made to feel so welcome in my life.

“Many residents go into Arnold or Mapperley for a night out; they’re desperate to have a great local on their doorstep and are really excited about the plans. The Major Oak is rundown now, but it’ll be beautiful when it’s finished.”

Mike Smith, Star Pubs & Bars’ investment manager said: “The investment will give the Major Oak broad appeal and plenty of reasons to visit.”