Customers at the Oakfield Inn are enjoying a new outdoor heated area following a £70,000 investment in the pub.
Hawthorn, the Community Pub Company and landlord, Mark Bodenham have paid for a full interior and exterior renovation.
Hawthorn, which owns more than 700 pubs across Wales, Scotland and England, invested in redecoration outside, including new fixtures and fittings, as well as brand-new signage and a new front patio with lighting and bench seating.
Along with the exterior updates, Mark spent money to redecorate the pub’s interior, with fresh paint throughout, as well as the re-upholstering of some existing furniture, and the purchase of new furnishings.
The back garden now features lighting, heating and a 75-inch television for locals to watch sport throughout the year.
Mark took over the running of the pub in February 2020.
“I’m hugely proud to serve the community”
He said “Growing up in Oakfield, I’ve been coming to the pub since I was a young lad and have always wanted to run it, even from when I was working at the butcher’s opposite, before and after school. Me, my father and my grandfather used to come here together and my mum worked behind the bar, so it’s amazing that I’m now running the place. It’s so important to me that we remain a family focussed pub, and after our full reopening on 21 May the new additions have been so well received by the community, which is absolutely brilliant.
“As we have a big connection to the Cwmbran and District Ex Serviceman’s Association (CADESA), we’ll be continuing to run lots of fundraisers for them, and the local school, which I’m really looking forward to. The ex-servicemen from the local area have been incredibly helpful since I took over the pub, helping to fix broken fences and put-up marquees. We’ll also be throwing an annual garden party fundraiser to bring the community together – so watch this space on that. I’m proud to be an Oakfield boy, and I’m hugely proud to serve the community running the Oakfield Inn.”
Mark is looking to set up teams for the pub’s three sports- pool, darts and cribbage and bring back karaoke nights once Covid-19 restrictions allow.
Andrew Parker, Director of Leased and Tenanted Operations at Hawthorn, said: “Mark has absolutely turned this pub around and he’s really brought it back to the centre of the community. It’s been fantastic to see his passion for his community and its people reflected in the way he runs the pub, and it’s clear we’ve got the perfect person for the job. We’re delighted that Mark has agreed to a long-term tenancy at the pub, and we look forward to working with him to make the Oakfield Inn the best it’s ever been.”