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A decade which has seen an Alnwick pub go ‘from strength to strength’ has been celebrated.

Martin Russell, previously head chef before taking over The Oaks Hotel in 2013, recently celebrated 10 years of running the pub, which has had its ups and downs.

He said: “We struggled on through Covid and then we opened and went from strength to strength. Hopefully the next few years is going to be better because I think pubs in general are gonna have pretty hard time with the living crisis and all that's going on at the moment.

“I would say pub culture is on the decline so you've got to kind of now think outside the box really to try and entice people to actually come out the house, especially on the winter evenings”.

Owner Martin Russell celebrated 10 years of running his pub and has plans for Halloween fundraising.

The much loved pub and Martin have seen many regulars, including Simon Denton, who was a regular for over 20 years. He passed away earlier this year.

Business development manager at Admiral Taverns, Stephen Birkett, said: "I'd like to congratulate Martin on such a fantastic milestone at The Oaks and of course I'd also like to extend my thanks to him for all his hard work over the last decade.

"His dedication to creating a go-to social hub for all local residents to enjoy is clear and stands testament to Admiral's commitment to working with passionate licensees who throw themselves into their pub and all aspects of community life.

"On behalf of everyone at Admiral Taverns, we wish him every success for the future and look forward to seeing what comes next for Martin and The Oaks."

Simon Denton was a regular to The Oaks for over 20 years. He passed away earlier this year.

Martin extends his thanks to all the customers, new and old, who have supported him over the past 10 years, and he will continue to support his community.

Martin has gone sober for October this year, raising £290 so far for HospiceCare North Northumberland and is also holding a Halloween fundraising event on October 28 in their aid with kids activities and a coffee morning from 10am until 12pm with drinks and sweet treats made by staff.

Tickets are on sale for £1 at the Oaks bar and Ruby Tuesday in Alnwick. Local businesses including ABC Cleaning Services, Fearless Adventure, Ruby Tuesday, Coast & Castles, The Cookie Jar, Treadforce and Blackshaws, donated over 50 prizes.

Boss at The Oaks Hotel in Alnwick looks back on 10 years at the helm