A date has been set for the opening of a classy new brasserie which has taken over a Reading town centre pub that dates back to the 17th century.
The Heartwood Collection, a brand of cosy pubs founded by celebrity chef Raymond Blanc, bought the old Sun Inn pub for £750,000 last autumn.
Since the start of this year, work has been undertaken to transform it from the Sun Inn into The Rising Sun.
It was meant to open in March, however, Heartwood applied to make changes to the layout back in February.
The adaptation turned the existing men’s toilet into a seating area, comprising three tables with two chairs each
The toilets will be relocated, with guests making use of two unisex cubicles and a wheelchair-accessible cubicle at the main entrance.
The changes were approved by the council’s planning department on May 14.
The Rising Sun is now set to open at noon on Tuesday, June 25.
The website for the reopened pub states: “Our beautiful pub offers seasonal and sustainability sourced dishes.
“Our Sunday roasts are legendary and come with bottomless trimmings. Sip on expertly prepared cocktails as well as an extensive curated wine list. We also have a children’s and Young Hearts menu that offers half portions of selected dishes from our seasonal à la carte menu.”
The Rising Sun will be dog friendly, with an area reserved for guests who bring their pets.
Changes to the outside replaced the car park with an outdoor space with seating for 140 customers.
Rebranding work has been completed, restoring the pub’s original name, which was chosen in consultation with Reading Museum.
A spokesperson for the Heartwood Collection said: “We’re really looking forward to restoring and refurbishing the pub and, as part of this work, we felt it fitting to revert to the original name of the pub.”
It is one of three venues in the town with the Rising Sun name, with the others being the arts centre in Silver Street, and a closed pub in Forbury Road.
