Joint venture sees village pub near Lancaster re-open for business as history repeats itself

A joint investment from Daniel Thwaites and tenants Helena and Garry Torch has seen The Royal Oak in Hornby restored to its former glory.

Having been closed for more than eight years, the village of Hornby had been left without a ‘heart of the community’.

Daniel Thwaites originally planned to sell the site to a developer, but issues with planning permission wouldn’t allow for this.

In a classic case of ‘history repeating itself’, this isn’t the first time that Helena and Garry have been tenants at The Royal Oak.

The couple, who built a legacy within the village, decided to move on to new pastures 12 years ago, before recently returning back to their old stomping ground.

This is now the third Thwaites pub that the couple have run.

With a strong sense of community, and a wonderful reputation for home-cooked food, the re-launch has proved a success.

The couple, who raised their family at The Royal Oak, have been welcomed back by well-wishers from the village and they are now fully-booked on Christmas Day.

To mark their return, they have re-instated their ever-popular quiz night along with a specially-curated menu of local dishes.

Andrew Buchanan, director of Pubs and Brewing at Daniel Thwaites, said: “After an eight-year closure, we are delighted to have re-opened The Royal Oak.

"The pub has always been at the heart of the community and to see it restored back to its heyday, with the people who made it a success in the first place, is fantastic.

"The industry has faced many challenges over the last few years, and in a world where some pubs are forced to close, its great to be able to share some positive news.”

Helena and Garry added: “The Royal Oak has always felt like home and a key part of the Hornby community.

"To be able to re-open in time for Christmas, and give back to the locals, is an absolute privilege and we are so excited to continue our journey with Thwaites and see what the future holds.”