The owners of the popular Yew Tree Inn at Peterstow near Ross-on-Wye have announced its reopening following a three-week refurbishment. 

Ross-on-Wye Cider and Perry Company and their new partners Firebird Kitchen say the interior of the pub has been completely transformed with a refurbished bar front made out of their very own cider barrels.

New lines have been added to the bar, bringing the draught offering up to 18 taps. 

A previously under-utilised side room - ‘The Snug’ - has also been brought together into the wider pub area. It now offers customers extra seating and a quieter zone, which is also perfect for families or small private functions. 

The extensive beer garden is also having a makeover ready for Easter and will be perfect for dining and drinking in the Spring, Summer and Autumn. 

The Yew Tree Inn’s Pub Manager Martin Johnson said, “Myself and the team are so eager to start a new era at the Yew Tree in 2024 alongside Firebird Kitchen! 

“We have always loved our customers and our drinks offering, and getting the chance to expand it with more draught lines for our award winning cider and craft beer, as well as our first foray into natural and organic wines and cocktails is really exciting. 

“Even better is doing so alongside such enthusiastic and genuine people at Firebird Kitchen and their amazing food.” 

The kitchen has also been fully renovated, with a wood-fired oven installed to facilitate Firebird Kitchen’s new food offering. Jim Bishop and Sandie Tomlinson have been been hand-crafting wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas from their mobile ovens since 2016 (The Firebird Oven) and are excited to now have a permanent fixed site in Herefordshire. 

They have put together a menu of breads, starters, sides, seasonal salads, wood-fired pizzas and desserts, and are planning to expand their offering as they get up and running. 

As trained bakers and multiple World Bread Award winners, they are also hoping to start a micro-bakery selling artisan breads and pastries at weekends in the future. 

“Our team at Firebird Kitchen are really excited to finally be embarking on this partnership! The Yew Tree has been our local pub for the last seven years and we’re really looking forward to welcoming back the locals and making it a destination for anyone visiting Herefordshire looking for a cosy pub and great food and drink to eat in or takeaway.” 

Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company, awarded BBC Food & Farming Awards Best Drinks Producer 2019, have been running the Yew Tree Inn at Peterstow since 2014, selling their cider and perry which is made only 5 minutes away at Broome Farm. 

The pub itself has won many awards including Herefordshire Cider Pub of the Year 2017 and 2019 and has become a popular tourist attraction, with countless drinks events organised throughout the year, including Ciderganza, Summertime Soiree, Cider Challenge, and Ross-Tober-Fest. 

Albert Johnson, Director of Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company hopes that the new food offering will bring new customers to the pub and help to advance cider tourism in the area. 

“Cider and pizza are a match made in heaven. It’s a beautiful thing! Pretty much every single combination works; the possibilities are as wide as your imagination. We’re so excited to collaborate with Firebird Kitchen to create seasonal pizzas to match our new cider and perry releases throughout the year.”