A Weston bar has had a £10,000 makeover to ‘brighten it up’ and give it a new feel.

Bonds Wine Bar, in Walliscote Road, was closed for three weeks while work to transform the popular drinking hole took place.

The bar is owned by businessman James Willis-Boden, who owns The Orange Corner in Regent Street and The Star, in Star. He also runs The Stalbridge in North Dorset and The Duck in Bridgwater.

Under Vibe Entertainment, Willis-Boden has taken over and kitted out five pubs to create different environments for couples, groups of friends, families and pubs suitable for young children.

He hopes the new-look bar will attract a wider clientele as he hopes to make it the ‘best cocktail bar in Weston’.

He told the Mercury: “The structure has stayed the same, but that is about it.

“The floor has been sanded down, and it has been brightened up. Gone are the dark charcoal walls, and it looks great.

“I am hoping for it to become the spot for the best cocktails in Weston. Originally, it was renowned for cocktails, and I want to return it to that.

“When I first got Bonds six years ago, we were the only real place that did good cocktails, and, since then, a lot of places have sprung up.

“It will be like walking into a new building – it is lighter, fresher and it is great and new.

“The toilets have been done up, with the ladies becoming a powder room with a dressing table.

“We are hoping to bring in a range of evening events like ladies nights, comedy and casino nights – we want to make it interactive and the place to be.

“This refurbishment is overdue, but the locals are really happy we have been able to do this.”

The business reopened on Saturday with a performance from The Leylines’ frontman Steve Mitchell.

Willis-Boden said: “It was a great evening with lots of people around.

“We do the best cocktails in town, from old favourites like the Old Fashioned, Side Car and French Martini through to some new ones – just ask our mixologists.”

Willis-Boden previously ran the Imperial before leaving to set up the Orange Corner. The Imperial closed several months after his departure and is now Olea.