Derbyshire business partners return home after eight years to save village pub – giving it a ‘new lease of life’

Lewis Hodkin and his business partner Mark Rice have taken over the Ashlea on Ashlea Green, Clowne. The pair were born just a few miles apart – and Lewis said they wanted to help save a venue that was close to their hearts.

“I was born in Creswell and Mark was born in Clowne, so we’re from the area. We’ve got other venues over in Skegness, so we’re not new to the industry. We had the opportunity of taking on the Nags Head in December, and the Ashlea a short while after that.

“We grew up around here and then moved away for eight or nine years. It’s nice to come back and be with our family and friends, to see a lot of old faces, and take on and progress with a pub that’s in our village.”

The pair spent a month revamping the venue after it had closed down last year. Lewis said: “The Ashlea was closed for around eight months and it took around a month to refurbish. We’ve given it a new lease of life, some love and attention. It’s been hard work, but hard work pays off.”

The Nags Head opened back in December, while the Ashlea welcomed customers through the doors again on March 17. The response from customers at both venues was overwhelmingly positive – and Lewis said they were looking to build on this promising start.

“It’s been a fantastic turnout at both so far. A lot of people have come to support us, which we’re really grateful for, and we’ve had some good feedback.

“We’ve got some ideas in the pipeline for both venues. Children are welcome at both, but especially so at the Ashlea. We want the Ashlea to be more community-involved, and we’re going to get in touch with the council to try and use Ashlea Green for events and involve the kids as well.

“We’ve put brand-new products on, along with Molson Coors beers. We’ve got some brilliant deals on. We’ve had some great people in both pubs and they’re brilliant environments. We’re looking at putting events on through the summer and going from there.”