A LENGTHY coronavirus closure proved a positive for the owners of one Southampton pub.

While most publicans were worrying about keeping their businesses afloat while on lockdown, the Government imposed 15 week closure gave the owners of The Broadway in Portswood the chance to give it a makeover, something they had been meaning to do for two years.

Director Tom Dyer said: “We took over Wild Lime in 2018 and always planned to do it up. Lockdown was the perfect opportunity to change the name and refurbish it.

"There are still ongoing changes happening, but it should be finished by the end of August.

"People seem to really like the improvements. It needed that facelift really."

The result is a bright and spacious bar with an upmarket feel where locals and students are enjoying watching all manner of live sport on the selection of big screens.

The name is a nod to historic Portswood with the particular stretch of Portswood Road where the pub sits known over the years as The Broadway.

"It's still aimed at students, but we're hoping to incorporate locals a lot more. That area used to be called The Broadway, so we thought we'd give it a little bit of a heritage name," Tom added.

Cocktails are already proving particularly popular at the venue, which has been doing a roaring trade since reopening on Saturday July 4.

The Tuesday Cocktail Club sees two cocktails served for £7.95 all day every Tuesday and during the pub's lengthy happy 'hour' from midday to 6pm you can enjoy a pint for £3.

The food launch at The Broadway will come later, as will the reintroduction of the incredibly popular Sunday night pub quiz, which has been running since the pub was a Varsity venue prior to the Wild Lime takeover seven years ago.

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