The Spread Eagle at Hockerton awarded Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award less than a year after new owners Natalie and Blake Beresforde take over

A pub once at risk of being turned to housing has now been presented with a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award.

The Spread Eagle at Hockerton was re-opened by Blake and Natalie Beresforde in December 2022, after being closed for several years.

The pair have transformed the fortunes of the pub, and created a dog-friendly, traditional village pub with a range of food and entertainment.

Natalie said: “We are super proud and amazed that we’ve managed to achieve the award in less than a year.

“It’s really nice that our hard work is being recognised and we’ve got that acknowledgement for it now, which is amazing.

“We’re really pleased that we’ve been able to save a village pub and give it some life back, and give the community something back.”

Blake and Natalie got the keys to the pub in October 2022, and spent the next few months renovating the space, which had had plans drawn up to transform the it into a three-bedroom house in 2021.

Blake, who was previously head chef at the The Old Green Dragon in Oxton, runs the kitchen, while Natalie left her previous career in care to manage the front of house.

“We’ve done two barbeques now, and we’ve started doing live music on the last Saturday of every month,” Natalie added.

“We’ve done five tapas nights now and they’ve been very, very successful, the feedback from everyone that comes is really positive. We are hoping to do some more themed nights next year.”

The pair said they have had a great response from Hockerton residents after bringing back their local — and have even been told they “put the heart back into the community”.

“It’s so nice that we’ve just kind of fitted in, and the support we’ve had from everybody has been incredible,” Natalie said

“We have the most incredible team and we couldn’t have achieved what we have achieved without them, they’re amazing.”

The pub serves a menu of “good, honest, homecooked food” including Sunday Lunch, fish and chips, sandwiches, pies, steak, fajitas and a range of starters and desserts.

It’s next live music night will be a Beatles tribute on Saturday, October 28.