TV star Neil Morrissey behaving behind bar

As well as serving out the drinks, Morrissey also revealed he helped chose decor for the revamped Plume of Feathers in Barlaston, near Stone.

The television star and his business partners have pumped £400,000 into a revamp of the Station Road premises that is being leased from Punch Taverns.

The pub opened over the weekend.

Morrissey says: "I'm very hands on. I have to be. From choosing the colours, the cutlery, the type of music to recruiting the staff. The whole lot really.

"It's a fantastic location right by the canal in a community that needed a bit of tender loving care. Hopefully what we're trying to do here will catch on."

He promised a selection of roast dinners, vegetarian dishes are on the menu in addition to easy listening jazz music depending on the time of day.

"I would say to people to come on down to see us. It's a fantastic place. We've got lots of town ales and really lovely staff," he adds.

He was born in Stafford and spent much of his childhood in the county's Penkhull Children's Home.

He set up the MSW Pub Company with Richard Slingsby, and Anne and James Waddington last year.

As well as starring in Men Behaving Badly, he also starred in hit series Boon and is the voice of children's TV character Bob the Builder.

He previously ran pubs with celebrity chef Richard Fox, but he says he has high hopes of making a success of the new venture.

Corin Brown, chairman of the area's of Campaign for Real Ale, welcomed the move and said: "It's nice to see some collaboration going on, it's a good thing for both pubs and breweries.

"For Barlaston to have another pub opening it's very good, and hopefully with the budget coming up this month we may see another fall in beer duty, which will hopefully encourage more investment in pubs."

Punch Taverns' central operations manager Dave Pawson said: "It's great to be working in partnership with such an experienced team to invest in the Plume of Feathers and create vital new jobs for the local area."