A PUB in the heart of Wimborne with new staff and a ‘cleaned up image’ is our Pub of the Week. 

The White Hart in Wimborne town centre has been given a second chance. Following a licence review in January 2023, it intends to re-establish its family-friendly status.

Chris Jameson (CJ) took over the pub in December, aiming to transform the venue into an ‘environment where everyone feels comfortable’.

CJ said: “The first thing we did was change the clientele, which I did in a week.

“It was quite brutal, but I gave everyone a chance; I told them my rules, which are zero tolerance on drugs and zero tolerance on any form of anti-social behaviour.”

CJ and his partner, Anne Marie, have arranged a packed line-up of live music and events to rebuild the pub's reputation as a pillar of the community.

He said: “On the weekends, we bring in live music; we have a lot of solo artists and a couple of bands. Most of the music will be folk, country and cover songs.

“On the first Friday of every month (excluding the Folk Festival), there will be a karaoke.”

The pub hosts a quiz and curry night once a week for people who want to test their trivia knowledge.

CJ said he has ‘big plans’ for the Wimborne Folk Festival. Entry to the pub will be free, with a string of artists performing in the venue’s large pub garden.

Anne Marie said she would arrange wristbands for the kids so parents could write their phone numbers on them.

She said: “We really want to do something different.

“We plan on setting up craft mornings for kids, where the kids can play and the parents can enjoy coffee and some cake.”

The White Hart is finalising a new summer menu.

All food is home-made and cooked to order, with CJ and Anne adding curating ‘secret ingredients’ into their dishes.

They said: “Because we make all our food fresh, we can cater to everyone. We have a delicious section of vegan options.”

The pub is located at the Corn Market in Wimborne, BH211JL.