Benfleet Bread and Cheese Hill pub revamp works progressing

The Bread and Cheese pub, in London Road, Benfleet, has been closed since January as the work is carried out to make it “fit for the 21st century”.

Steve Haslam, owner of the Bread and Cheese, saved the pub from closure when he took it over in 2020 and now the major investment which will be the “biggest transformation the pub has seen in decades”.

He is confident that the will will re-open at the end of April after being hit by minor delays, however an exact date is yet to be announced.

Refurbishment - work is progressing (Image: Bread and Cheese Pub)

Mr Haslam said: “Works are progressing well.

“We are a little bit behind on the original schedule as we have had to do a lot more work than originally planned.

“It has been frustrating at times as we hit a few problems along the way.

“But we are very excited as it is getting to that point now where we are starting to see what it is going to look like. It is starting to turn from a building site to a living, breathing pub again.

“It will be exceptional. It is the first time in decades that it has had this sort of transformation.

“It will look totally different; it is being brought into the 21st century. But it will be the same friendly staff, the same great services, and still fantastic food.”

In 2020, the Bread and Cheese Pub, briefly closed when the former owners stepped down.

But Mr Haslam, who runs several successful pubs, took over originally on a temporary basis.

He fought through the pandemic, as well as rising costs, and has since come out the other side, and the pub started to thrive.

Earlier this year, he signed a new 15-year lease with Heineken to continue running the pub.

Inside - the pub is undergoing a £370k revamp (Image: Bread and Cheese Pub)
He added: “It does feel like a look to the future. I am not saying there hasn’t been work done previously, but a lot of work had been done to paper over the cracks.

“Now it is a complete transformation. You will be able to see the transformation and it will be good for our customers to see it too.

“I think as you look at it externally, you will see that it looks like a really exciting new place. It is a look to the future and it is very exciting.”