New restaurant is unveiled at Mount Hotel

A new bar, lounge and restaurant has been unveiled at an historic hotel that is in line for a £1.5 million makeover.

The upgrade at the 140-year-old Mount Hotel in Wolverhampton includes a new lounge with bar and a large open fire separate to a Champagne bar.

The biggest development at the three-star Tettenhall Wood hotel, once the home of the Mander family, is the creation of a new restaurant open to the public.

The Drawing Room Bar and Grill offers 44 seats in the former conservatory overlooking the grounds and is being overseen by a new head chef Stewart West. Mr West has worked in numerous five-star hotels and has competed alongside top chefs such as Heston Blumenthal.

He has created a brand new menu using locally-sourced food.

New owners Scott and Brett Bernard, who grew up in Tettenhall, managed to complete the work, which included knocking down walls and installing new fittings and fixtures, in just 16 days during January.

They hope to now increase the number of weddings taking place there.

The brothers took over last year after the Mount's former owners Blue Cedars Leisure went into administration amid "severe cash flow difficulties".

The two siblings, aged 24 and 27, have experience of building projects as both are directors of Brierley Hill-based Select Healthcare, which runs several care homes, and have built their own homes in the past.

Scott Bernard said he was pleased with the refurbishment, adding: "It was quite a challenge.

"We had a wedding booked so we had to do it in 16 days but we had our own building team to finish it on time.

"We are very pleased with how it looks.

"There is nowhere in Wolverhampton quite like this."

The brothers plan to spend as much as £1.5m on refurbishing the entire hotel over the course of coming months.

Mr Bernard added: "People who have seen it have been impressed.

"We are also hoping to have music nights and increase the number of weddings.

"We want this to be the place to come in Wolverhampton for something a little different."