Trowel and Hammer in Cotton near Stowmarket to reopen

The Trowel & Hammer in Cotton, north of Stowmarket, will reopen on Tuesday, November 28 for a partial reopening ahead of Christmas.

The pub has been taken over by Freddy Vaudrey, who said he bought the pub to save it from the "inevitable doom it was facing" of being turned into houses.

He added: "Twenty years ago, it was absolutely heaving. It was a huge destination pub.

"There was a lot of goodwill attached to the pub: you say the name 'Trowel & Hammer' around Suffolk, people will remember times they went there.

Freddy Vaudrey has taken over the pub and is making sure it is ready for next week's opening (Image: Charlotte Bond)

"We have gone in there and we have chucked a huge amount of money at it, and we are pushing for a full renovation.

"We want to give this pub the time and money that it deserves.

"But that takes time, so we thought we would do a partial opening so we can be there for the community for Christmas.

"This pub is a great part of the community and at Christmas, people like to go out, meet friends and family, so we want to provide that."

Freddy Vaudrey, director at JH Vaudrey & Son in Eye, has taken over the pub (Image: Charlotte Bond)

The pub will open next week and will remain open everyday until Christmas, when it will close again to finish renovating the rest of the building.

Mr Vaudrey added: "People have come up to me telling me about memories they have had in the pub, and the love and support people have for this pub is amazing.

"It's blown me away, the love and support, even people we've interviewed want to come and be a part of the pub and help revive it."

Due to the pub being a free house, Mr Vaudrey is able to choose what drinks he would like to provide in the pub, with local brewers and mainstream drinks to be sold.

Sweeney's Pizzeria will take over the kitchen at Trowel and Hammer (Image: Charlotte Bond)

The kitchen is also being taken over by Suffolk-based company Sweeney's Pizzeria, which will be operating at the premises.

The business, which launched in October 2022, has been travelling around the county in a pop-up format, with the owner Craig Sweeney stating he was hoping to move into a permanent premises.

In September the business also reached the final of the Best Pizza Award in England and Wales.

Mr Sweeney said: "I am really excited – it's a great opportunity that I've been given and I really appreciate it.

"We're going to continue to use local suppliers, local produce and it's all coming together really nicely.

Craig Sweeney, owner of Sweeney's Pizzeria (Image: Charlotte Bond)

"There's pubs closing left, right and centre. Freddie has invested a lot of money into this, so please come down to support it."

Sweeney's Pizzeria will now be permanently based at the Trowel & Hammer, having previously been a mobile pizzeria.

It will also be operating from next week, with just Monday and Tuesday being the only days it will be closed.

Mr Vaudrey added: "Some of my friends have had pizzas from him [Mr Sweeney] before and he's got a reputation for fantastic quality.

"I've seen this sort of thing work well in other pubs and it allows me to concentrate on the property, filling it with people, serving drinks, and he can focus on providing top-quality food and service.

"It's worked out really well for both of us."

The Trowel and Hammer in Cotton (Image: Google Maps)

The pub will be open every day up until and including Christmas Eve before closing again to undergo further refurbishment throughout January, February and March.