A down-at-heel pub has been transformed with contemporary styling and a menu packed with fresh ingredients to create The Bath Pub Company’s fourth outlet.
Following months of refurbishment, The Locksbrook Inn in Bath’s Lower Weston is now open. The £250,000 refurbishment work on the former Dolphin Inn on Locksbrook Road has been sympathetic to its heritage – from its Georgian bar entrance, snug, suntrap decking and garden flanked by restored waterside rooms. 
The canalside pub now joins The Chequers, The Marlborough Tavern and The Hare and Hounds in The Bath Pub Company’s portfolio. The firm took on the lease, issued by Enterprise Inns, in March.
Director Joe Cussens said: “We feel it important to reflect the location and individual character of our pubs.
“There’s something special about being on the water’s edge; we hope we’ve created a space which makes everyone feel welcome – and if they live or work nearby, feel proud to call this their local.
“The menu and offering is firmly grounded in relaxed, gastropub territory, but with a few surprises.”
Now a listed building, the pub opened in 1728 and is believed to have been built at the same time as the canal bridge behind it, making it a popular watering hole for bargees in the 18th and early 19th century. 
Under its new management it is expected to be a hit with social diners, families, post-work drinkers, cyclists and walkers, boat folk and Sunday lunch enthusiasts.
Thanks to chef Charles Mooyaart’s eclectic experience – he previously worked in the heart of the City of London as well as his native Amsterdam – the menu combines international influence with refined pub classics.
He said: “Fresh and balanced ingredients are really important. I’m excited about changing common perceptions of pub food.
“It doesn’t need to be over complicated, but I love combining flavours to produce dishes that make people smile.
“The menu features many dishes designed for sharing, so I hope people enjoy the more relaxed, social approach we’ve taken with the food.” 
The pub’s daily menu comprises small plates, sharing platters, healthy, colourful salads, hand-tossed pizette, homemade burgers and classic dishes. Weekend brunch and Sunday lunches will also be served.
The pub’s general manager is James Pounds, previously at the helm of nearby sister pub, the Hare and Hounds.
