As a publicity stunt it was a masterstroke - decorating The King's Arms in Ombersley, near Worcester with a massive red bow, leaving gobsmacked drivers gawping in stunned disbelief. Certainly it was a bold - if slightly surreal - marketing move which generated a fever of anticipation ahead of the grand reopening. Now, eight months on from this early 'Christmas present' to the village, the pub has emerged Phoenix-like from the proverbial ashes.
Managers hope the return of the King will be the gift that keeps on giving. So far, so good. The King's Arms, it seems, has won back its crown and given this old jewel something more than a spit and polish.
GIFT: The King's Arms in Ombersley, gift-wrapped before its grand reopening last November. (Image: Supplied) It has rekindled an old flame - Ombersley seems to have fallen in love with the pub again judging by the crowds that returned on Christmas Eve. You would struggle to find a more lovely setting for a pub - Ombersley surely must be one of the county's most picturesque villages, a vision of a bygone England.
However, this pub is not stuck in the past. Far from it. TALENT: Head chef Natasha Creamer brings 17 years of experience to bear in The King's Arms kitchens in Ombersley (Image: James Connell/Newsquest) The grade II pub reopened on November 16 last year after 'significant' investment in a refurbishment inside and out, conserving the historic features for which the pub is rightly celebrated.
The free house is a cosy, intimate,.