Popular village pub The Hapton Inn welcomes new landlord Lee Wright

Lee Wright, who has taken over the reins of the Hapton Inn, has a decade of experience in the licensed trade, said he had received a warm welcome from regulars and trade was fantastic, considering it was January.

He said: “I’m settling in well and really enjoying being here. The Hapton Inn is a great fit for me.”

Lee, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday is running the pub with his girlfriend Becky Hudson who is 31. Burnley born but raised in Accrington, former joiner Lee ran the Griffin Head’s in Huncoat for five years and he was also in charge of catering at a golf club for a number of years. Lee discovered his talent for cooking later in life so he took a catering course at Blackburn College and was named as apprentice of the year… at the age of 40.

Home cooked food is back on the menu at the Hapton Inn and Lee is also considering opening for breakfasts too. Lee said: “We are looking at putting on entertainment and also making use of the great outdoor space here in the summer.” The community rallied round to save the Hapton Inn in 2021 when it was threatened with closure. Locals quickly joined forces, stepping forward to offer their services to keep the doors open and a local licensee stepped into the breach.