The new owner of a historic 13th century pub is hoping to breathe new life into the property.

Peter Hoskins, of Saffron Taverns Limited, has renovated The George Inn, in The Street, Shalford, and is reopening the pub on Friday evening.

The property, which has been closed for more than a year, is the third pub owned by the company and is linked to Bishops Stortford’s Saffron Brewery.

Mr Hoskins said: “It is about bringing a historic, famous pub back to life with a bit of a facelift.

“We thought the pub was a tremendous opportunity and the area is not extremely well stocked with pubs at the moment.

“People will get a warm welcome and we are hoping we can keep them coming back.”

The property has undergone extensive refurbishment, both inside and out, with Mr Hoskins asking the community of Shalford to get involved with the renovation project.

Mr Hoskins said: “The pub is decorated with numerous photos showing people’s ways of life in Shalford over the years.

“We have already had tremendous support from the community who have provided photos for us to display.

A further focus for Mr Hoskins will be the produce of the surrounding areas, something chef and pub manager Dean Watson will be promoting with his work in the kitchen and behind the bar.

Mr Hoskins said: “We will be promoting Essex beers in the premises along with our own from the brewery.

“The whole emphasis will be on produce from the area.

“The most important thing for us is to have the pub presented as welcoming to people that come in and to provide good food, good drink and high quality service for customers.”