A TAUNTON town centre pub has confirmed will reopen just before Christmas.

The Racehorse Inn on East Reach will reopen on Friday, December 22.

The pub closed earlier this year, in March.

St Austell Brewery, the company which used to own the pub at the time, explained: “The Racehorse Inn was run by an operator who had several sites.

"Having completed an estate review, they chose to downsize significantly.

"Unfortunately, the Racehorse Inn has been affected by this and is currently closed.

“We understand how important this pub is to the local community in Taunton, and we are working very hard to find a new tenant with a view to getting the Racehorse reopened as soon as possible.”

In November, the pub was bought by Red Oak Taverns.

A company’s spokesperson said: “The Racehorse Inn has been closed for some time and was recently purchased by Red Oak Taverns from St Austell Brewery.

“We are looking to recruit suitable tenant partners to enable the pub to re-open and are currently speaking with interested parties.”

Mark Grunnell, chief executive, Red Oak Taverns, who founded the business in 2011 with executive chairman, Aaron Brown, previously said: “We are delighted that St Austell Brewery, a fellow independent business with a rich history of running great pubs, chose to work with us in selling these assets.

“We’re committed to the continued growth of our pub portfolio and this package of acquisitions will further strengthen Red Oak’s presence in the South West region.”

Red Oak has now confirmed the pub will reopen this week, on Friday, December 22.