Newham’s pub-goers are looking forward to a cautious reopening as beer gardens are allowed welcome customers from April 12.

Among those set to take the earliest opportunity to start pouring beer again are the Holly Tree in Forest Gate. Owner Remarkable Pubs installed new umbrellas and heaters in the pub’s extensive outdoor space last year and promises a full service.

East Ham’s Red Lion, by Central Park, part of the Dirty Liquor chain, will also open its garden from April 12, closing earlier than usual at 10pm. People need to book a table, though, as there’s limited space.

Two of the three J D Wetherspoon pubs in the Borough are reopening their outdoor areas, too. The Goldengrove in Stratford and the Hudson Bay in Forest Gate will have a reduced food menu and earlier closing.

Although it has a large beer garden, Plaistow’s Black Lion is among those waiting until indoor opening is possible from Saturday, May 17.

Meanwhile, the new owners of Upton Park’s landmark Boleyn Tavern, which has been closed since January 2020, revealed that it’s finally scheduled to reopen at the end of May.

Remarkable Pubs, which acquired the freehold in 2018, is completing restoration and refurbishment of the Grade II listed site in collaboration with English Heritage, and promises 30 beer lines on the bar and, for the first time in its history, an extensive food menu.

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