A beloved pub in Farnham is set to reopen today after Shepherd Neame secured a new tenant, easing fears among residents that the venue could close permanently.

The Plough, based in West Street, will welcome customers again on Friday, June 5, following the departure of burger franchise The Hungry Boys.

The business operated from the site for about 18 months before closing in March.

Many residents had drawn comparisons with the fate of the nearby Jolly Sailor, also in West Street. The pub closed permanently in 2019 and, in August 2021, Waverley Borough Council approved plans to convert the building into housing, bringing to an end what the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) described as the "sad and slow demise" of a former branch Pub of the Year.

There were also concerns that The Plough could suffer the same fate as another Shepherd Neame property in the town, The Lamb in Abbey Street, which has remained vacant.

CAMRA welcomed the news of the reopening.

A spokesperson said: "It is good news that Shepherd Neame have quickly found a new tenant and the pub will not lie unused like another of their pubs, the Lamb. We would hope to see the reinstatement of Real Ale in the pub and for a return to a traditional pub atmosphere in the most westerly pub in the town since the closure of the Jolly Sailor a few years ago."

Shepherd Neame, Britain's oldest brewer, remains a family-owned business and operates several pubs in the Farnham area.

The Plough is a large family pub with a spacious garden, close to Farnham's 12th-century church and castle.