Inside the £100,000 makeover at Newlyn’s harbourside Red Lion

Pull up a chair by the fire at the Red Lion this winter and you would never guess how close Newlyn came to losing it.

When the harbourside pub closed at the end of 2025, there was concern locally that Newlyn could lose another traditional pub. Now, after its first summer back, independent Cornish spirits producer and hospitality operator Pocketful of Stones has overseen a £100,000 investment in the venue alongside Admiral Taverns.

📷Credit: Sam Breeze

What has changed at the Red Lion

The pub has reopened after a two-week closure for what the company calls a sensitive refurbishment, designed to improve the venue while keeping its traditional character.

Upgrades include refreshed toilets and a new-look bar area, along with work to the floors and ceilings.

A new courtyard gives customers more space to enjoy the pub in summer. And for the colder months, log burners should make it a cosy spot for a winter visit by the harbour.

📷Credit: Sam Breeze

From closure to a busy summer

Pocketful of Stones took on the Red Lion with Admiral Taverns after it shut, and reopened the site in February 2026.

Since then it has built a young local team led by manager Todd Kyle and assistant manager Lydia Chappell, with chef George Mitchell running the kitchen.

The bar now carries a broader range of Cornish beers, wines and spirits. The food sticks to familiar Cornish pub dishes, with a seasonal, locally sourced emphasis.

Outdoor barbecues, live music and themed events have helped bring the pub back as a meeting place for residents and visitors.

📷Credit: Sam Breeze

“Brilliant to see the pub busy again”

Mike Cunliffe, co-owner of Pocketful of Stones, said: “We are delighted to have completed this latest phase of investment at the Red Lion. The refurbishment has given us the opportunity to refresh the pub’s spaces and create an even more comfortable, enjoyable setting for everyone who visits.

“It has been brilliant to see the pub busy again, with people coming together over a drink, a meal or a relaxed evening with friends and family. We are grateful for the support Newlyn has shown since we took on the Red Lion, and we are looking forward to building on that momentum in the months ahead.”

The pub has also picked up a Silver Plastic Free Champion Award from Plastic Free Penzance, recognising the steps it has taken to cut single-use plastic in its day-to-day running.

📷Credit: Sam Breeze

Ten years of Pocketful of Stones

The Red Lion is the company’s third hospitality venue, alongside its Penzance bar and tasting room and its shop in Falmouth.

Pocketful of Stones was founded in 2016 as a small-batch Cornish spirits producer and marked its tenth anniversary in September. It has since grown into a 30-strong business covering production, retail and hospitality.

Over the past decade it has sold more than 500,000 bottles and welcomed more than 20,000 tasting visitors across its venues. Its spirits are exported to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Hungary.

The range runs to 23 handcrafted products across eight spirit categories, including Caspyn Gin, Dr Squid Gin, Hell’s Stone Whisky, King of Prussia Spiced Rum and Morveren Absinthe.

In the past 18 months the business has put more than £300,000 into new stills, increasing its production capacity more than fourfold and creating local jobs.

To mark the anniversary, it is launching Caspyn Ten, a limited-edition release celebrating its flagship Caspyn Gin.

📷Credit: Sam Breeze

📷Credit: Sam Breeze

📷Credit: Sam Breeze

📷Credit: Sam Breeze