The Golden Lion pub in Ripon is set to open a new beer garden after undergoing renovations costing over £170,000.
The pub in Allhallowgate will open the space, which the owners describe as a “secret garden”, this weekend.
Pub owner Nigel Ayton explained:
“We started renovations before Christmas and are set to open this Saturday. We’ve called it the secret garden due to the fact that looking at the pub you would have no idea it had such a beautiful open area at the rear.”
Mr Ayton and partner, Shelly Herron, initially took over The Black Swan in 2019 on a trial tenancy, before taking on a pub in Easingwold.
But due to the location and the distance from their families, Mr Ayton and Ms Herron decided to move back to Ripon after enquiring about The Golden Lion in January 2021.
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Despite initially being told it wouldn’t be a long-term agreement, in October 2021, Greene King announced they would invest £170,000 into the pub.
Mr Ayton added:
“It’s not been the best of starts for us as we decided to go into the pub trade/business in December 2019, only to be faced with lockdowns. But now we feel things have turned the corner and can’t wait to get the Golden Lion on the map.”
