Local pubs are under threat from competition with supermarkets offering cheap beer and also their thirst for investment in more stores.

Ipswich pub, The Golf Hotel, will call last orders on Sunday – but it is only a temporary measure.

The popular Foxhall Road pub is to undergo a £150,000 makeover, which is also creating new job opportunities.

At a time when so many local pubs are under threat, especially by retail giants wanting to transform the sites into grocery stores, it is positive news for pubgoers.

A number of Ipswich pubs have been lost to the major supermarkets’ determination to provide ‘local’ food shopping.

The Golden Key in Woodbridge Road, the Heathlands in Foxhall Road and the Emperor in Norwich Road have all been snapped up for redevelopment.

The owner of The Golf Hotel, the Spirit Pub Company, is investing in its future as a pub and restaurant.

The pub, which reopens on Thursday, July 4, will be transforming into a John Barras venue offering value pub food and a wide range of drinks including cask ales, lagers and beers, with a focus on sports entertainment.

The investment will see the pub fitted with Sky, HD TVs, new furniture and a refurbished bar with updated guest toilets.

The pub will also have a sports area that will include a pool table and a TV. There will also be a new menu that will offer special deals, a spokesman said.

Ruth Carley, general manager of The Golf Hotel, said: “We cannot wait to introduce the John Barras brand to our community.

“The changes we have planned will allow us to provide our guests with a great venue to watch or play sports, enjoy a pint after work or take the family out for a meal.

“We want The Golf Hotel to be famous within our community as the best place for ales.

“We have three cask ales running at any one time and work with local and national breweries to constantly keep our guests coming back for something new.”

The pub is also recruiting for part-time positions on the bar and in the kitchen.

John Barras is a brand from Spirit Pub Company, which owns and operates 791 managed pubs across the UK.

Other brands in its portfolio include Chef & Brewer, Fayre & Square and Flaming Grill.

Ruth has been with the company for three years and re-opened the Punch & Judy after its refurbishment.

“We are really looking forward to this.

“It is brilliant. I am very excited about it,” she added.

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