Former country club The Oakley to reopen as pub and restaurant

The Oakley House Country Club in Kiddemore Green Road just outside Brewood has been bought by the Brunning and Price pub group, which is part of the Restaurant Group.

Work to completely renovate the premises, which will be known as The Oakley when it opens, is underway.

Brunning and Price, which operates 55 pubs and is looking to buy another 10 sites this year, is already recruiting key staff for The Oakley and is looking at an opening date in April.

It is looking for a manager, deputy manager, head chef, sous chefs and chefs de partie and will be recruiting bar, kitchen, cleaning, gardening and maintenance staff nearer to the time of opening.

The Oakley had been on the market with a price of around £800,000 since 2011.

Nicola Stuart, head of marketing and communications at Brunning and Price, insisted that the company looks to maintain the originality and character of the buildings it invests in.

She said: "We try to restore them as much as possible. The bar tends to be in the heart of the pub, with dining areas in little nooks and crannies around the area.

"We aim for this venue to have a real community feel. We try to keep the buildings as original as we can."

The premises dates back to the 19th Century and stands in 2.6 acres of grounds including a lake. The country club featured a 120-cover main restaurant and a function room called The Oak Room and was a popular wedding venue. The Oakley will offer a choice of six cask ales on tap when it opens.

The sprawling pile is described on Rightmove as 'a once thriving country club and wedding venue'. It adds: "The ground floor provides a substantial area for entertaining including entrance hall and reception, main restaurant with large function room attached seating 120 covers and main bar area overlooking the lake.

"Beyond the bar is a further function room known as The Oak Room aptly named because of the expanse of exposed oak beams to the ceiling. On the first floor are five guest bedrooms. In addition to this, the property includes a self-contained two bedroom staff flat with potential to be utilised as further bedrooms.

"The main gardens are located to the side of the property and comprise mature trees and shrubs all positioned around a beautiful lake. In addition there is an outdoor bar and sun terrace."

Brunning and Price previously renovated The Inn at Shipley on the Bridgnorth Road.