A Derby pub has been taken over by a local woman and a secret investor with hopes of transforming it to its former glory, months after its sudden closure.
Derby native Leigh Westwood, who has worked in bars and pubs across the city throughout her adult life, has taken the reins at the New Zealand Arms, off Ashbourne Road.
She'll use her experience from working at Seven Stars and Fat Cat, to name a few, to steer the pub back in the right direction following its closure back in March.
The new team at the pub has made a significant investment in the fixtures and fittings, introducing a range of enhancements, including new plumbing and plastering, as well as furniture, a pool table, and a darts board.
Now the dust has settled, Leigh looks forward to welcoming locals back to sample the long line of ales and lagers at the community pub - with plans for scrumptious meals on the cards in the new year.
"The pub has been going since the late 1800s, and it's always been a very community-led pub on the back streets in the area," Leigh said.
"It's had some very good heydays, but for whatever reason, it closed and came up for sale earlier this year. It just needed someone to take it over and put it back onto the map, so we bought the freehold."
At the moment, customers will walk in and face two ale pumps pouring Bass Premium and Ay Up from Dancing Duck, as well as lagers and ciders including Madri, Staropramen, Carling, Guinness, Inches, Rekorderlig and Worthington's - and Leigh and her team are looking to add another ale to the selection.
Leigh added: "We've had extensive refurbishments all across the pub. I've spoken with people who used to be regulars and they've told me it's unrecognisable from before - and it's been modernised completely.
"We've got a brand new pool and darts area, and we've taken away a chimney breast which opens up the sports area completely. We also have eight TVs around the pub and will be showing all the big sports events."
The pub also has a beer garden, which is set for further improvements, but due to the cold winter months ahead and time constraints, those upgrades won't be completed until next spring - although the beer garden remains available to use until then.
"It's really exciting getting things up and ready," added Leigh. "We've been holding events and they've been a big success. It really is brilliant seeing people coming in and using our pub, but it's a quiet time of the year, so we're hoping to get even busier closer to Christmas and New Year.
"We're really excited to start serving food in the New Year as well.
"The New Zealand Arms used to be known for a brilliant Sunday roast, so we're going to try and bring that back, but during midweek we'll also have your usual pub classics like fish and chips and pies."
The pub opened its doors a few weeks ago and is now welcoming folk from far and wide to pop in for a visit.
Anyone wishing to stop by can do so from 3pm to 11pm, Monday to Thursday, from 12pm to 12am on Fridays and Saturdays and from 12pm to 10pm on Sundays.