Injecting fun and a cool vibe into a picture-book New Forest village, this revamped inn belies its pub-chain roots
‘Some people miss the carvery and some of the anti-hunting posse objected to the new name ... but overall, it has been a massive hit with the regulars,” says Ann Maher, landlady of the Huntsman in Brockenhurst. What once was the Rose & Crown, a traditional pub with a stuck-in-the-1960s vibe, reopened in March after a whopping (almost) £1m makeover. Out with the dated red carpets, in with trendy hexagonal tiling, colourful mismatched chairs and a wood-fired pizza oven.
I arrive on a damp spring evening, glad to get off the packed commuter train. It’s a short stroll from the station to what looks like an average pub from the outside. Inside, though, it’s bright and enticing with décor the right side of trying too hard.
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