EXCITED staff at a Winsford pub can't wait to reopen after lockdown.

Finishing touches are being made to Christmas decorations at The Brighton Belle as festive bookings are already soaring.

Manager Will Goodwin said: "As soon as the announcement was made that we could reopen, bookings started flooding in.We're geared up to re-open on Wednesday. It's a massive relief that we are in Tier 2 although we would have loved Tier 1.

"Our decorations are 90 per cent up, just putting the finishing touches on now.

"Our team is really excited."

From Wednesday, the Christmas menu will be available at the pub, also known as The Hungry Horse in Middlewich Road, with a selection of traditional meals such as turkey, steak and salmon.

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Food orders will be taken from 9am to 10pm and customers will be able to stay in the pub until 11pm.

Customers can either drop in or book online.

Santa will be coming to have breakfast with children every Saturday in the run up to Christmas, on December 5, 12 and 19, from 9am to 11am.

"We are making a grotto, " said Will. "It will be socially distanced. We are hoping to take pictures of families, with Santa a metre away. We are not charging for the photographs."

Christmas Day is already getting booked up although some early vacancies are still available for the first sitting 12 noon until 1.30pm.

Only families who live in the same household or share a bubble can sit together.

However, staff will make every effort to try and place relatives on neighbouring tables, to adhere to Covid regulations, wherever possible.

"We will try and put mum, dad and their children on one table and grandparents on another, within social distancing rules," said Will. "We can't guarantee tables will be together, but we will try our utmost to accommodate families."

The team will be back in the pub from Monday as stock is replenished and fresh food deliveries arrive.

"There will be a lovely Christmas atmosphere," said Will. "We will have Christmas music in the background and all the decorations will be up. The team will be wearing Christmas jumpers and Santa hats."

To book visit the hungryhorse.co.uk on Facebook or email 1660@greeneking.co.uk