A 15th century coaching inn on the Suffolk-Essex border has been given a £150,000 facelift.
Piers Baker, owner of the Sun Inn, Dedham, welcomed the new look, which features freshly sanded and polished floors in the bar and dining rooms.
A complete kitchen refit includes the installation of a Rational oven, a larger walk-in cold room, new floors, walls and ceilings and essential improvements to the plumbing and electrics.
The new-look dining room has been furnished with bespoke banquettes, chairs, sofas and tables produced by Danbury Upholstery and Bampton Design.
The colours of the decor are bold, and it includes leather and velvet fabrics, and features a design from Ian Sanderson called Popinjay.
Piers, who also owns Church Street Tavern in Colchester, said when he arrived at The Sun in 2003, he had to upgrade the decor and facilities on a shoestring budget.
He carefully transformed the pub and bedrooms with a programme of ongoing improvements over the years, including a new terrace, garden bar and upgraded rooms.
“After 15 years’ footfall in the bar and dining room, we have take the opportunity to fully refresh the pub and give our excellent kitchen team the facilities they deserve,” he said.
“These refurbishments, both front of house and behind-the-scenes, will enable us to improve our blend of convivial informality with quiet know-how, to make our customers happy for another 15 years at least.”
The team is now able to offer a larger menu and improved quality and consistency at the inn, which will launch a new more casual bar menu on January 25, when the inn will start serving food again. Meanwhile the bar remains open.
The Sun Inn employs a team of 25 staff. The kitchen team of eight is lead by Jack Levine who has been at the restaurant for nearly seven years rising to head chef in 2015.
“The Sun Inn has never experienced a drop in sales in 15 years and we have always aimed to drive the business forward,” said Piers.
“This major refurbishment works, on a larger scale than anything we’ve done before, will not only set us up for the future but enable us to be ahead of the curve.”
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