A REVAMPED pub has been named among the best hotels in the east of England just six months after it opened its doors.
Piers Baker welcomed punters back to The White Hart Inn, Mersea Island, in June after it laid dormant since 2013.
The publican, who owns Church Street Tavern, Colchester, and The Sun Inn, Dedham, unveiled six individually designed double bedrooms at the site following his investment.
His work has been rewarded via recognition in The Sunday Times’ annual top 100 list of Britain’s best hotels, in the east of England category.
The High Street hotel’s bedrooms all boast ensuites, with some providing enviable sea views.
Mr Baker said: “I can't believe we've made it onto such a prestigious list in our first six months. It means a great deal to us all.
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“Our team have worked so hard since opening, coping with all the pressures that come with a new opening, learning everything from scratch, getting used to a brand-new building and all the teething issues it brings.
“They've been brilliant. This is a great end to our year.”
A former pub, The White Hart Inn was restored with a £1 million investment after nine years of closure and has been dramatically refurbished.
A stay with breakfast at the site just 250 yards from the beach will set the customer back £150 per night.
The Times’s review, written by Susan d’Arcy, reads: “Once a spit-and-sawdust boozer, the White Hart Inn on Mersea Island closed in 2013 and remained shut for almost a decade.
“Its comeback is thanks to Essex entrepreneur Piers Baker… who in 2021 took over the lease of the derelict 15th-century white clapboard building.
“Baker spent £1 million creating a gastropub with six meticulously decorated rooms.
“Now it’s luring locals to the bar, plus weekending couples seeking a cosy stay close to the beach, with the added draw of a modern British menu from head chef Eliot Craven.”
Mr Craven, who previously held the role of sous chef at Church Street Tavern, is joined by front of house team leader Jack Tuck.
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