A centuries-old landmark village pub springs back into life tomorrow (Tuesday 4th October) after a £2million makeover.

The Old Pump in Barlow, which had stood forlorn since closing in December 2014, has been transformed into a sophisticated country pub with a host of local real ales and Derbyshire produce on the menu.

Its new lease of life actually harks back to a previous life – the Hackney Lane pub is to be renamed The Peacock At Barlow, the title it was given by landowners the Duke of Rutland when it began life as a busy 18th century coaching inn.

“The Dukes of Rutland were major landowners in this region and gave The Peacock name to all the inns on their patch,” said landlord Roger Salt. “I believe the Rutland coat of arms featured a peacock crest, but why all the pubs were given the same name I don’t know. Maybe the intention was to create one of the earliest forms of pub chains. I’d love to find out more. If there’s a local history buff who knows the answer, there’s a pint in it.”

Roger and wife Rebecca ran pubs in Chesterfield before taking over the Kelstedge Inn on the outskirts of Ashover.

Said Rebecca: “We are thrilled to be at the helm of The Peacock at Barlow. It has to be one of the most stylish pubs around. No expense has been spared, yet great care has been taken to ensure the country character and history has been retained and our finest feature – the magnificent view – is allowed to shine.

“The atmosphere is sophisticated, yet relaxed, a place where people can come for a night out or straight from a long country walk for good ale and a scrumptious meal made from the wealth of quality produce on our doorstep. Local residents have actually helped to create the menu; we asked for their favourite pub dishes and ideas have been flooding in.”

A glass atrium, conservatory and four luxury en-suite guest bedrooms have been created for the October opening. Four more bedrooms will be added shortly in the next phase of development and in the New Year the pub will boast its own on-site brewery, The Derbyshire Brewing Company.

The pub has been redeveloped by local businessmen Derek Mapp and David Bond, who have a strong background in innkeeping and hospitality from their Mansfield Brewery and Tom Cobleigh days. Derek’s son Chris runs the highly-acclaimed pub and restaurant the Tickled Trout in Valley Road, Barlow.

Chesterfield-based Northern Tea Merchants has been announced as a recipient of a prestigious Great Taste star.

The world’s most coveted blind test-tasted food awards, has awarded a star to Northern Tea Merchants for its Heritage Range Hot Chocolate which is blended especially for Harrods.

The Heritage Range Hot Chocolate was one of 10,000 products to be judged by the panel of big ‘foodie’ names in the blind taste testing in the awards. The panel of over 400 judges tasted all of the food, completely stripped down from any packaging to ensure all judging was based on taste.

The hot chocolate blend was described by judges: “A really great rich look to this cup of hot chocolate; Smooth and velvety with a good body in the mouth; Creamy, slightly drying in the mouth, deeply chocolaty with a very rich finish.”

Being awarded a Great Taste Award is recognised as one of the biggest accomplishments in the field of specialty food. Great Taste has been described as the ‘Oscars of the food world’ and is widely acknowledged as the most respected food accreditation scheme for specialty food producers.

It is the first time that Northern Tea Merchants has entered the Great Taste Awards and James Pogson, director of Northern Tea Merchants, enthused: “We are incredibly proud to gain recognition for our hot chocolate blend for Harrods Heritage range. This is the first year we’ve entered the Great Taste Awards and we’re thrilled to have achieved such a prestigious award for our hot chocolate. Next year we will be aiming for the hallowed 3-star status!”

The Great Taste 2016 awards will culminate in a grand finale on Monday 5 September at the Royal Garden Hotel in London, where the overall winners for each region will be announced along with the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2016.