The King Alfred pub on Walney wows customers upon return with major refurbishment

The King Alfred started small with their redecoration, but things just snowballed after they decided to replace the carpet and give the walls a lick of paint.

Next thing they knew they had a new wooden ceiling, new lighting, a new seating area, and a beautiful mural of Walney by local artist Hannah Willets.

Kathryn Mulgrew, one of the owners of the family run pub was overjoyed with the new look of the place which they managed to keep under wraps until recently.

“We wanted to create a nice atmosphere and make the space more welcoming for our customers,” she said.

“One of my favourite bits of this is the mural though.

“I got a painting by Hannah as a wedding present a few years ago so I asked if she would be interested, and she was delighted to be involved.”

ART: The mural by Hannah Willets

Hannah was not the only local involved in this project as the pub owners believed as an independent business themselves, it was important to keep the contracting for the work local as well.

The Ocean Road establishment was really thankful for the help from Harken Decorations, electrician Andy Barnes, Barrow Central Joinery, Wards decorating centre, Furness Tiles, D and M Upholstery, Kruger Coverings, and Kendal Quality Carpets.

The 10-bedroom hotel is well-known for its fresh home cooked food, Sunday roasts, and varied breakfast menu, but this hyper-local effort showcases what really keeps customers coming back, community.

EXPERIENCE: Diners enjoying their time at King Alfred

“I think is it important to support local businesses and I found everyone has been really helpful and given us great advice,” Mrs Mulgrew said.

“A lot of them were really busy as well so they pulled a lot of favours to help us out!

“I think this really showed the tight community spirit that we have in Barrow and on Walney.

“We managed to keep this refurb a bit of a secret, even from regulars, as we were quiet on social media and it is tricky to see what is going on in the pub from the road.

“But we have had some really positive feedback on the work and it is great to see how supportive everyone has been throughout this.

"We are really happy to be back serving our customers again and looking forward to the return of Fizzy Fridays and live music after June 21.”

STAFF: Joe Furness (left) and Justine Winter (right)

There is more excitement yet to come though, not just for their afternoon tea options and their themed nights, but for the beer garden that is currently being developed which they hope to open in the coming weeks.