Inside Bush and Vine pub as it reopens in St John's

It's fair to say the pub formerly known as The Bush in St John's, Worcester, has experienced something of a renaissance in the last few months, including the creation of a new beer garden in what has been an overgrown building site. It still retains the celebrated period character that makes it one of the city's most aesthetically pleasing and atmospheric pubs, and care has been taken to enhance these heritage features while bringing in some new, graceful touches.

Now known as 'The Bush and Vine', which better reflects its extensive wine list, this charming Victorian-era corner pub in the Bull Ring, which has been open again for the last six weeks, has been brought back to life after a 10-week revamp.

CHARM: The enticing exterior of The Bush and Vine in St John's, Worcester which has been revamped by two experienced landlords (Image: Bush and Vine)

The free house's dramatic reinvention comes as something of a joint endeavour between two men who are already established names in the city's pub trade - Darren Yong, landlord of The King Charles House in New Street in Worcester - who has 30 years experience in the industry - and Sam Roberts, landlord of The Worcester Arms in London Road who has worked his way up from a 13-year-old glass collector to manage several pubs. The bar manager welcoming customers at The Bush and Vine is is Sydney O'Mahoney.

"We have good, successful businesses already, and we thought we would give it a crack," said Darren. "Feedback has been really good so far. Our emphasis has been on quality with a more grown-up atmosphere. We've got no screens. It's a good place to go to escape the World Cup."

Sam said: "I love how we have managed to bring back the traditional features. It's always had a good reputation in St John's. St John's is described as 'a village in the city', and it's nice that we have a community and all the pubs can work alongside each other."

INSPIRED: Darren Yong (left) and Sam Roberts behind the iconic bar of The Bush and Vine (formerly the Bush) in St John's, Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

A lovely touch is the names of the former landlords stencilled on the walls with the dates they ran the pub, which dates from 1780.

However, like other city pubs, including Eagle Vaults and The Royal Exchange, the real fabric of The Bush and Vine dates from the Victorian Age (it was rebuilt in 1879).

The interior boasts new copper features created by city plumber Jack Pinfield. But the refurbishment, which has included repainting and new carpets, is not merely about introducing new features but about bringing those that already exist back to life.

A good example is the original mirror glass in the iconic, listed antique bar, which looks like a vestige of the first class lounge in the Titanic (before it sank, of course).

ICONIC: The visual centre piece of The Bush and Vine is the ornate bar which commands attention (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

The recently revealed glass preserves its original patina but was previously concealed beneath 'disco ball glass' and had not seen the light of day since at least the 1960s.

"We've reopened a new beer garden, which was an overgrown building site before with fridges, freezers and an old toilet block. It was a bit of mess," says Darren.

Now there is a paved area, seating and plants, creating what he called a 'continental courtyard', thanks to two city companies - Mikey Walton of Walton Towers Trading and Elevating Landscapes. There are two fires inside the pub - one in the snug and a log burner in the main bar.

Darren said: "It will have a really good winter vibe, but the garden adds extra value in the summer."

The garden is never going to command the sort of views some pubs enjoy - it's too close to the looming tower blocks, which are such a prominent feature of the skyline of St John's.

Yet it's always good to see abandoned spaces reinvented and returned to life like this.

SUTRAP: The nee beer garden at The Bush and Vine in St John's, Worcester (Image: Bush and Vine)

Speaking of which, it is not the first time this pub has been brought back, phoenix-like, from the proverbial ashes.

We reported in August 2024 how the pub reopened after it had been closed for many years.

However, the pub closed again last September only to be reopened in May this year.

The pub was leased from a friend of both landlords, Pete Styles, who they said was a keen supporter of the trade in the city.

'We support local breweries', including Copper Beech

At the moment, the pub is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 4pm and 11pm, Fridays between 4pm and midnight, Saturdays between noon and midnight and Sundays between noon and 10pm.

A feature of the pub is a 'high quality' wine list from Juckes of Worcester. Because the pub has no brewery tie, they have been able to support local breweries or cater for wider, European tastes depending on demand, including serving Tegernseer Hell, a Munich-style pale lager.

When I visit, they are stocking beers from Copper Beech Brewery and the Birmingham Brewing Company. This is something they intend to continue, meeting a wide variety of demands.

One of their big sellers is Hawkstone, the growing premium craft beer and cider brand co-founded by television presenter Jeremy Clarkson and Johnny Hornby.

Live music is also a feature at 9pm on Saturdays, including some 'chilled out acoustic acts'. Some customers from the Worcester Arms and King Charles House have already visited while others are more local to St John's.

Food is also available in the form of a charcuterie.