Work was starting today on a £300,000 facelift for two Baildon pubs which will create up to 20 new jobs.

The Malt Shovel will be closed until Monday, January 28, to allow a major makeover, with the Angel following suit at the end of the month.

Angel manager Rob Heir, 37, said: “Baildon is already a bit of a hotspot with good pubs and bars and has great potential.

“We’re both owned by Spirit Pub Company, which recently improved the Bull’s Head, and when we’ve finished Baildon really will be fantastic for wandering from pub to pub.” Both pubs will be redecorated in a traditional style and will run under the banner of the John Barras brand which aims to keep the local character of its properties.

The Angel will close on January 28 and reopen on Thursday, February 7.

“Both the pubs will keep their own identities,” said Ed Moss, 32, manager of the Malt Shovel, a Grade II listed building with Victorian mosaic floors.

“The decorating will just highlight its existing features.

“We have two quiz nights and live bands on Fridays and we’re planning to set up a mini-darts league in Baildon.”

The investment will see the pubs fitted with new HD TVs for Sky Sport, new furniture and a refurbished bar with updated toilets. The kitchens will also have new equipment.

Mr Heir said: “We’re set to double the floor space of the Angel by developing the outside area and so we hope to take on about 20 people between the two pubs.

“We’ve already got hard working teams, but food is a growth area and people increasingly want value, plus quality and consistency, which is what we deliver.”

Mr Moss said in tough times, it was great to be in a village where £300,000 was seen as a worthwhile outlay “It’s gut-wrenching to drive past a boarded-up pub, but here in Baildon we know that will never happen, hence the investment,” he said.

John Barras is a brand from Spirit Pub Company, which owns and operates more than 790 managed pubs across the UK. Other brands in its portfolio include Chef & Brewer, Fayre & Square and Flaming Grill.