Anchor Inn in Stratford St Mary reopens after huge refurb

Nestled just a few hundred yards from the River Stour in the heart of Constable County, the Anchor Inn in Stratford St Mary, close to the Essex border, has been refurbished after receiving an investment of £750,000. 

It has been refurbished to have a new garden bar, a large conservatory dining area, terracing and log burners as well as new furniture and bathrooms. 

There are still some projects yet to be completed including the construction of an accessible toilet and making a larger kitchen, which can use gas appliances instead of the high cost eclectic-only kitchen currently used by the pub.

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The pub is in Stratford St Mary, near East Bergholt (Image: The Anchor)

Owner Ray Anderson said: "We are so pleased with what we have managed to do.

"We fully intend to keep improving and developing the Anchor to safeguard its future and turn it into the best pub and restaurant we could ever imagine."

Mr Anderson reopened the Anchor after it was closed for some time, citing the history of the building as one of the first brewhouses on the main route to London was "far too good to lose".

"It is a building with such a long history, when we found out it was closed and unloved we just had to try and bring it back to life," said Mr Anderson. 

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The refurbished garden lounge (Image: The Anchor)

"Although we could see potential, the building as it stood, having lost most of its land to an unfortunate housing development, was not viable.

"We did not want to announce anything too soon, before we knew we had good staff and food and could reliably offer great service, but we are now ready to tell the world that the Anchor is back in business."

The Anchor is open seven days a week serving food from 9.30am.