NEWLY reopened after a big refurbishment, the Churchill Arms offers a traditional village pub welcome.

In fact, the welcome is literally warmer now, because the refurbishment has added an open fire to brighten the winter evenings.

The pub, on the outskirts of Alderholt, near Fordingbridge, is managed by Tanya Winyard as a business partner of brewery Hall & Woodhouse.

“It’s quite a community village pub,” says Tanya.

“It’s a bit like a Tardis – it’s a lot bigger than people expect when they first walk in.”

The Churchill Arms dates back to the early 1900s and was built by the local farming family who first ran it.

It has seen Alderholt grow around it, with the local population rising over 30 years from under 800 to more than 3,200.

The latest refurbishment of this landmark building has seen the bar moved to a central position, ready to welcome customers as they enter.

There is a main dining area and a more relaxed space to eat, and the cosy atmosphere has been enhanced by the addition of new sofas.

Food is a strong point of the pub. “We try and do traditional pub food,” says Tanya.

“The food we cook is the food we enjoy. The guys that work for me have a lot of input into the menus.”

As well as the main menu, there is a specials board which is changed regularly, and which currently contains Christmas options.

There are also a succession of food specials: Beer and Burger on Tuesdays; Pie and a Pint on Wednesdays; Steak Night on Thursday; and Thank Cod It’s Friday.

Breakfasts are served on Saturdays and roasts on Sundays.

Thursday is quiz night, and the pub is popular with motorcyclists, with Bike Nights popular on Tuesdays, especially in the summer.

As a Hall & Woodhouse pub, the Churchill Arms offers a tempting range of ales, including the ‘winter warmer’ Red Roaster, Tanglefoot and Fursty Ferret.

In the keg beer range, there is Wicked Wyvern IPA, Golden Champion and Hall & Woodhouse’s Forum lager, as well as other lagers, stouts and ciders, and hot drinks.

It’s a dog-friendly pub – there are even dog biscuits at the bar in return for donations to the local air ambulance.

The pub also regularly raises money for DocBike, which seeks to reduce deaths and serious injuries from motorbike collisions.

There is a loyalty scheme which allows customers to collect points towards vouchers or birthday meals – all part of the offering which keeps regulars coming back to enjoy the Churchill Arms’ welcome again.

The Churchill Arms is at Daggons Road, Alderholt, near Fordingbridge. It can be found online at churchillpub.co.uk, on Facebook (@ChurchillAlderholt) and Instagram (@churchillarmsalderholt).