A FRESH lease of life for three pubs in Colchester has been hailed as a further indication the pub trade has “turned a corner”.

Redecoration and a new focus on food have been brought to the Lexden Crown, in Lexden Road, the Leather Bottle, in Shrub End Road, and the Foresters Arms, in Castle Road.

At the Lexden Crown, Patrik and Jo Minder hope to bring the food and service their Lemon Tree restaurant is known for to a pub setting.

The pub’s building, which dates back to the 17th century and has been a pub since 1851, has been stripped back to its original beams, with five layers of floor covering removed during a painstaking renovation.

Herbs have been planted in the garden to emphasise a focus on local produce.

Manager Shaun Pullum said: “We’ve turned the pub from a regular drinking hole into a really nice pub serving good home-cooked food.

“We’re a bistro-pub not a gastro-pub, because I think that term has been used and abused lately, and we want to keep our own originality.”

Mr Pullum said the pub has had “a stampede of customers” since reopening on Friday, with “really upbeat” feedback.

At the Leather Bottle, Carol and Frank Beardsell are “having a punt at the pub trade” after winning their culinary spurs at Eat Inn, on the Whitehall industrial estate.

Their pub has been completely gutted and refurbished with a new lounge bar and restaurant. Mrs Beardsell said: “The pub has had a bad reputation and become rundown over the years, and we’re determined to turn that around.

“We’ve spent £30,000 and people won’t recognise the old place. The brewery has said it’s going to do its bit for us and redo the car park, which will really help.

“We’ve got a very good young chef in, and aim to be serving food to a really high standard.”

After a three-month refurbishment, the final touches are being applied to the Foresters Arms in preparation for its first full day on Saturday.

Landlady Abigail Henson was not afraid to call it a gastro-pub, with a bar and 35-cover dining room. “It’s been a childhood dream to run a pub and this place gave me the opportunity to do it,” she said.

“The industry has had its problems recently, but we think people still want to go out and will pay for something they like. We aim to provide that.”

John Parker, secretary of Colchester Licensed Victuallers’ Association, wished the three pubs well. He said: “They’ve all had troubled periods recently, but these people have invested and are giving it a go. The best of luck to them.

“It’s still difficult in the trade, but I feel we’ve turned a corner. The rate they’re closing is slowing down.”

Mr Parker, who runs the Flag in Wivenhoe, added: “All the big pub companies have realised food is the way to go, with drink as the secondary source of revenue. It’s no good just serving anything, you’ve got to get the quality and price right for your customers.”