FROM appearances it wasn’t a pub which promised a great return for its new owners.

With a reputation as litle more than a drinking den, directors thought twice about taking over the lease at this Hampshire pub.

Now, months after a £150,000 cash refurbishment, management, staff and pubgoers at the Bede’s Lea in North Baddesley are celebrating after it was nominated for a national award.

Labelled as “the hub of the community” the pub is has been short listed as one of six national finalists in the Best Turnaround category in the Great British Pub Awards 2016.

Liz Page and her husband Mick and son Daniel King run management firm Swan Hospitality who sought out the pub and considered taking it over.

But she said it “didn’t have the greatest reputation”.

“I was um-ing and ah-ing whether to take it on, it was quite dingy, it was very much a drinking pub. It was a proper spit-and-sawdust type of place,” she said.

“It was doing quite good barrelage, there were a lot of people drinking there, we thought it had quite good potential.

“There isn’t much competition in North Baddesley and it’s a large village. We looked at lots of pubs but this one had more potential to be turned around.”

Over four weeks in may last year they turned it into a carvery and now they are seeing it become a place where families flood to and enjoy the summer sunshine.

Liz added that by taking the pool table out – a feature that was popular with younger, male drinkers – has seen more women coming to the Rownhams Lane pub.

Standing in the same spot for generations many of the regulars, who are now in their seventies, return to the pub even though they remember drinking there in the 1960s.

Previously Paul Thompson, 57, a parish councillor from Hoe Lane, who also runs the Baddesley Veterans FC said: “I’ve lived in the village all my life. I’ve always used the pub as all the other people have had.

"In the last year there’s been a whole transformation of the pub. It’s really well run, it’s the hub of the community.”

Liz hoped the pub, which is owned by Punch Taverns, will be victorious in the Great British Pub Awards later this year.

Liz, who runs two other pubs in Wiltshire, said: “I’m delighted and excited about the nomination. I think it’s a real achievement for the whole team, the staff and the customers. Morale is really high because it’s recognition of all the hard work that’s gone into making the pub work.”

She added: “The whole team are very excited about the awards and deserve this accolade.

“We are also very grateful to our supportive customers without whom we would not be in this position.”

Each of the awards 16 categories will be announced, along with the overall champion - the Great British Pub of the Year 2016, who will be selected from all category winners – at the London Hilton on Wednesday October 5.

The next stage of judging is to be visited by a member of The Morning Advertisers expert judging team in a rigorous two hour visit later this year.