A TRADITIONAL neighbourhood pub has been given a modern new look and name.

The Walmer Castle, in Queen’s Park Road, has had an extensive refurbishment and has been renamed The Independent.

Experienced landlord James Tippett-Iles is working with social media expert and band manager Matt Russell at the pub.

The business partners bought the freehold of the Walmer Castle in November and started refurbishing it 15 weeks ago.

It re-opened two weeks ago with a launch party held on Friday.

Chef Nick Roberts, who has worked for Terrance Conran restaurants in London, has taken charge of the kitchen.

The menu features a mixture of pub and bistro classics such as fish and chips and rotisserie chicken with aioli, while a selection of tapas-style small plates is also available, including bratwurst and sauerkraut, calamari and charcuterie.

A range of real ales and craft beers will be served from Sussex and beyond.

Talking about the design of the pub, James said: “We’ve given it a very fresh, clean feel, with strong colours, bright and airy, not too cluttered with pictures.

“The idea was to take the Walmer Castle and marry it with some modern touches, a mixture of old and new.

“A good pub has to have the right music, the right lighting and the right ambience. It’s down to consistency.

“It should be a relaxed pub for customers but behind the scenes a really professional operation.”

The plan is to host live music performances at the pub without detracting from the dining experience.

James explained how owning the freehold made a world of difference to some of his past experiences as a landlord with pub companies (or “pubcos”), such as Enterprise Inns.

He added: “I’ve worked with pubcos in the past and the more successful you are the more rents just keep going up and up.

“It just doesn’t encourage you to invest any money because it doesn’t make economic sense.

“But pubcos have started to realise this and the pub trade has really reinvented itself now.

“What we’ve seen in Brighton and Hove and what we’ve tried to do here is turn around the neighbourhood pub.

“People want to be able to have a drink and food nearby – they don’t always want to go into town.”

James was previously a director of hotels, pubs and hospitality at Saint-Clair and Saint-George.

Matt Russell manages bands A Thousands Furs and Nordic Giants and is behind digital web agency Gingermoon.