A pub in a market town in Gloucestershire is to get new management after a bid to open a food destination with outside dining pods was abandoned. There had been ambitious plans to run The Wye Inn at the Red Lion in Newent town centre, bringing the closed-down pub back to life.

The Wye Inn opened in April this year with plans for music nights during the summer and food offering a modern interpretation of classical European flavours. It was the brainchild of chef Andy Sheridan and business partner Sam Morgan and was described as the second branch of Black & Green after the initial one in Birmingham.

But now, items are being removed from the pub in Broad Street ahead of the new operators moving in. It is understood that it will be a ‘desi pub’ – a term used to describe pubs run by British Asian landlords serving Punjabi food, seen as a Midlands phenomenon.

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Sam Morgan, from the About Dining Group, told Gloucestershire Live that they didn’t own the Wye Inn and that new operators were making upgrades in the kitchen. He said: “We just operated from the site and opted to not renew the initial period of six months.”

And he added: “I’ll be honest I am not involved in who is coming in we are just moving our bits out. All I know is it’s going to be a desi pub as they’re popping a tandoori oven in.”

The Wye Inn had a wide-ranging menu that is still visible on its website, including snacks such as sausage rolls with beetroot and rhubarb dip for £7 and a venison scotch egg for £9. Mains included Guinness braised beef rib with chard leek and potato terrine for £28 and sausage and mash for £18 and desserts such as rice pudding for £10, doughnuts for £9 and a chocolate brownie for £8.

Reviews on Tripadvisor were mixed, with some full of praise and others critical. A positive review, left by Anna B in April said: “I have been three times to this new restaurant, trying out the pizza and brunch. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The food is spectacularly presented, it really stands out in the area as there is nothing else like this nearby.

“The garden area and the pods are really something special and unusual, I am looking forward to the summer and spending more time out there trying the rest of the items on the menu.”

A less positive review from user U364JRpaulc, also from April, reads: “My husband and I were disappointed with our visit after much anticipation from recent reviews. Food menu was limited and on arrival the food was distinctly average, and overpriced.”

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