Popular village pub, The Old Lion at Harborough Magna, is to reopen with a brand new look after a refurbishment by its new management team. 

The Old Lion, just outside Rugby in Warwickshire, was taken over by the team behind The George at Kilsby with plans to transform it into the same style of destination dining pub that attracts food and drink-lovers from both the local area and further afield. 

The team has been heading up The Old Lion since November, but on 15 April it will close its doors for a month to undergo a transformation before reopening on 15 May with a brand new look. 

The Old Lion will serve up a combination of quality food but its focus will be on modern Indian cuisine alongside pub classics including Sunday lunches, while The George aims to serve up pub classics with Asian and Mediterranean influences.

Like The George, The Old Lion will be dog-friendly and family-friendly, retaining its village pub character while also building a similar reputation as that of its sister pub for great food and drink.

Chef patron Hari Krishnamurthy is also planning to launch a takeaway and delivery service of The Old Lion's Indian food to within a four-mile radius of the pub, covering the village and surrounding areas as well as part of Rugby town centre.

The Old Lion will close on 15 April for the refurbishment (image via The Old Lion)

He said: "Since we took over at The Old Lion we've had such amazing support from the local community, with locals continuing to come regularly, and new customers coming after hearing about what we're doing.

"Now we've settled in and have a great team in place, it's time to give the pub a bit of a makeover ready to launch our new menus and really push things to the next level.

"We've seen how popular our combination of pub classics and quality Indian cuisine has proved at The George and we can't wait to do something similar - but with its own USP - at The Old Lion.

"At The Old Lion we'll be focusing on modern Indian cuisine along with pub classics as well as a great Sunday roast.

"While both pubs will have the same high standards, customers will be able to enjoy a different dining experience, giving them two great options just a stone's throw from Rugby and easy to reach from the surrounding area."

Hari and his team took over The George at Kilsby in 2022, relaunching it in August that year and going from strength to strength since then, offering a menu that combines pub classics with Asian-inspired dishes, along with everything from lunch specials to afternoon tea, brunch and regular events like a monthly supper club, cookery classes and cocktail masterclasses.

The George continues to offer monthly promotions from tapas nights to 'Hari's Supper Club' which is a showcase of dishes from different Indian regions. It has also introduced live music and steak nights every Friday night in the covered, heated winter garden, which are set to start on 24 March.  

Hari added: "We're keen to keep offering a variety of monthly promotions for our guests at The George, with a focus on great food as well as value for money and something for everyone. All of our events and offers have proved a huge hit, and the variety keeps people coming back again and again. 

"We can't wait to embark on the next chapter for The Old Lion and plan similar events, offers and entertainment to take the pub to the next level."

For a full calendar of events and to book, visit The George's website.