TWO friends from Welling have opened their “dream pub” after working together for many years.
Ray Irwin, 46, and Bonnie Tarleton, 29, are now the new operators of Guy Earl of Warwick pub in Welling.
Ray and Bonnie told the News Shopper that they worked at different pubs across south east London where they first met working together at the Nags Head in Welling.
They said they are excited to welcome the community to a pub of their own after searching for the “ideal” venue during the coronavirus pandemic.
The planning and preparation for the venue took Ray and Bonnie around four to five months to complete after enquiring about the Guy Earl of Warwick in October 2021.
Pub franchise, Greene King purchased the property and announced plans to restore the venue in early November 2021.
The two worked together for five and a half years before opening the Guy Earl of Warwick on February 24.
Ray and Bonnie said: “We know the area, and the customers, so we saw it has the perfect opportunity.”
“We’re both massive sports fan as well, so having a sports ground next door was one of many things that attracted us to Guy Earl of Warwick.
"We also support Welling United, so it benefits us as well by being next to the stadium.
“It’s amazing to see the support we’ve been getting on Facebook, there’s a massive buzz around the pub."
This will be the first pub that both will be operating together.
They now want to give back to the community by supporting local charities in the future.
They explained: “We’re now bringing food into the pub, so it’ll be a huge investment for us.
“We want to establish it as a different type of venue, something different to what it was before.
“Food and live sport will be a massive part of what we do."
The venue will be open seven days a week from 12am till 12pm, located next to Welling football stadium.
The pub is one of three other pubs owned by Greene King in Welling.
The other two are the Nags Head in Welling High Street and the We-Anchor-In-Hope in Bellegrove Road.
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