After opening a shop and cafe at the start of this year, The Star Inn at Harbottle has extended its range of community services further with a takeaway pizzeria, supported again, by a grant from the Community Services Fund.
The pub’s owners, Phil and Karen Wilkinson have worked with Pub is The Hub’s regional advisor, Nigel Williams, to create a hub of new services around the pub’s old courtyard. Pizzeria La Stella is a wood fired pizza oven kitchen in a converted outbuilding in the pub’s courtyard and serves fresh hand-made pizza, pasta, salads and side dishes in takeaway packaging for customers to enjoy in the pub, the courtyard or to takeaway.
Open on Thursday to Friday from 5 to 9pm, Saturday from 12 noon to 9pm and on Sunday from 12 noon to 4pm, orders can be placed at the bar for collection in the customer waiting area.
Karen Wilkinson said: “With the pub closed we have been able to accelerate some of our plans and the pizzeria was top of the list. There is nothing like this nearby and we are surrounded by locals looking for good food, something a bit different. Our aim is to provide delicious hot and cold food a few days each week to meet demand.
“Bringing this lovely pub back to life and expanding its services has been a true labour of love and we are bowled over by the support from our community.”
Nigel Williams from Pub is The Hub added: “Anything that Phil and Karen do at The Star is done with such enthusiasm and energy. They built the wood fired oven whilst also tackling major refurbishment work inside the pub and in their private accommodation above the pub, as well as running the shop and delivering shopping around the community. They deserve all the success they receive.”
The Wilkinsons took over the 200-year-old coaching inn last August and have been carefully refurbishing the historic pub while documenting their work on the pub’s website. During the Covid-19 closedown period they stripped back walls, floors and fireplaces in the bar uncovering many pieces of the pub’s history.
The photograph at the top shows Phil and Karen collecting their pizza from chefs, Alex and Teo
