A PUB in Kidderminster town centre will host a street food event to mark its reopening for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown next week.

The King and Castle, off Comberton Hill, will welcome customers back on Saturday, July 4 as relaxed government restrictions allow pubs and restaurants to reopen with social distancing rules in place.

To mark the occasion, the Severn Valley Railway pub has partnered with Michelin Star chef Richard Stuart, who will be serving up a range of handmade street food throughout the day.

Head of sales and marketing Lisa Palmer said: “We’ve put careful consideration into the reopening of The King and Castle, with socially distancing seating, table service and a deep clean of the premises.

“We wanted to come back with something unique and are delighted to be working with Richard to create hand-prepared street food, alongside children’s activities and our traditional variety of locally-sourced ales and ciders.

"There’s something for everybody and we can’t wait to see you all!”

The venue, which was named Wyre Forest Pub of the Year in 2019, will open at 11am, with a selection of local real ales, lagers, ciders and spirits on sale.

Richard Stuart’s street food menu will include succulent beef brisket bonbons, tikka-battered chicken goujons and dirty fries.

Main dishes cost £8 and sides are £2.50.

Pre-booking is strongly advised at svr.co.uk to ensure a table.

To keep youngsters amused, the Coalyard Miniature Railway will be in service and there will be a traditional sweet shop.

Each child who visits will receive a free activity pack.

The railway’s glass-covered concourse will accommodate extended seating, laid out in accordance with social distancing measures, and table service will ensure customers can order drinks without the need to queue.

The SVR is making plans to reopen its passenger train services in August on a pre-booked ticket basis only.