A Dartford family who have revitalised two of the town’s pubs are now taking on a third in a major revamp.

David and Dilys Clack have paired with their daughter and son-in-law, Nicola and Chris Tume, to invest in a £260,000 refurbishment of The Plough at Wilmington.

The project, in conjunction with Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars, will upgrade the pub into a community favourite, while introducing home cooked food.

The refurbishment was originally due to begin in April but was postponed because of the lockdown.

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Mr Clack said:

“A lot of people were concerned we’d pull out. But we’ve got a really good feeling about The Plough and we don’t want to let the village down, so we’re cracking on. After all the delay, we can’t wait to get going!”

The Clacks have run pubs around Dartford for 25 years. They are currently the licensees of The Dart on Chastilian Road and top-rated TripAdvisor pub, the Chequers in Darenth, which they operate with Nicola.

Their daughter, who will be The Plough’s new licensee, added:

“I’ve passed The Plough hundreds of times but never dreamt it would be ours one day. We want to build on its reputation as a hub of the community and offer something for everyone and all occasions – whether it’s watching the sport, enjoying a family meal or having a ladies night out.

My sons will be helping out too, so it will be a real family affair. We hope having a new local will bring some much-needed cheer to people in these challenging times.”

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The development will restore the outside of the building, transforming the garden into a space for alfresco eating and drinking.

The inside features will also be refreshed, offering a new dining area with seating for 40.

The menu will use locally sourced ingredients and focus on freshly prepared pub favourites like pies and steaks and Sunday lunches will be a specialty.

Star Pubs & Bars’ operations director for Kent, Dugald Macer, commented:

“We’re delighted to be joining forces with such well respected local licensees to give The Plough a new lease of life.

“Wilmington is a lovely village and the refurbishment will give it a great pub to match.”

Work is scheduled to start on August 17 with the pub reopening in early October.