This is who has taken over the Ivanhoe pub in Scarborough - but will they bring back the play bus ?

A pub in Scarborough which closed down just after Christmas has reopened ... with a "Star"-studded cast!
Laura Wilcock and Anthony Procter have taken on The Ivanhoe pub.Laura Wilcock and Anthony Procter have taken on The Ivanhoe pub.
Laura Wilcock and Anthony Procter have taken on The Ivanhoe pub.

The new people behind the bar at The Ivanhoe, in Burniston Road, also run The Star in Cayton.

Anthony Procter and Laura Wilcock have brought with them the Star's chef, Gary Brown, and are hoping to bring back the "good times" at the Ivanhoe, having turned around the fortunes of The Star.

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The pubs that closed around ChristmasThe Ivanhoe was one of a few pubs in Scarborough that closed just after Christmas, including the Victoria Hotel and Old Vic, Mist (which has reopened), the Shakespeare and the Wellington. The leases are on offer at various other pubs.

Laura Wilcock and Anthony Procter with Laura's son Bradley.Laura Wilcock and Anthony Procter with Laura's son Bradley.
Laura Wilcock and Anthony Procter with Laura's son Bradley.

Laura, Scarborough born and bred, and Anthony, from Bradford, met eight months ago, and soon afterwards decided to take on The Star.

Here are some of the pubs that Scarborough has loved and lostLaura said: "I came back after four years in Stockton, where I ran seven pubs. I came to help look after my newborn grandson and thought I'd just do a 9 to 5, no responsibility, but then I saw the Star come up for grabs, and Anthony and I went for it.

"I'd wanted it for about 19 years, I lived near it and used to go there, and it was the only pub really that I would've taken on in Scarborough.

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" It was a closed house and had deteriorated over about 20 months, and now it's booming. It's had a £30,000 kitchen put in and we took on a regular chef, with a new menu, and it's going from strength to strength. We want to do the same with the Ivanhoe."

Both pubs are owned by Enterprise Inns, and it was the company that instigated the Ivanhoe decision. "We'd had our eye on it since November, as we knew the lease might be coming up, and we'd told Enterprise we'd be interested in another pub. They asked us to take the Ivanhoe, because they'd seen what we've done with the Star. So we got the lease !

The Ivanhoe closed in early January and opened up on Thursday this week. Although there will be little physical change initially, Enterprise have scheduled a £70-80,000 refurbishment for September.

Anthony said: "We want to get the Ivanhoe back to how it was, a good family pub. We have a new chef, new menu, plenty of regulars coming back hopefully, and it would be perfect for weddings. It's got 12 letting rooms so we'd like to put in a wedding suite."

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Laura added: "We have a strong team in both pubs, including the new chef at the Star, Adam."

Her son Bradley Wilcock, 22, dad to 16-month-old Albie, helps at both pubs. Anthony has a seven-year-old daughter, Ellie.

"One thing we've been asked a lot is are we bringing back the outdoor play bus!" said Laura. "We're keeping the outside as it is at the moment, it's tidy and functional, and we'll put up a sweets shack. But we've no plans to have the bus back ... unless there's massive demand!"

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