THE owners of upmarket gastropub the Bay Horse in Hurworth will launch a new venture in October after buying the Devonport Hotel in nearby Middleton One Row.

As the award-winning Bay Horse celebrates ten years in business next month, owners Marcus Bennett and Jonathan Hall are busy renovating the Devonport into a venue which will serve traditional pub grub, with rooms.

The Northern Echo: NEW LOOK: The Devonport Hotel in Middleton One Row has undergone a recent refurbishment, including the attractive courtyard with plenty of seats

They already employ 100 people across their restaurants, serving 2,500 diners each week, and that number is expected to reach 130 with the Devonport in their stable of businesses.

The pair opened their first joint venture in September 2008 and enjoyed huge success with the Bay Horse winning the Michelin Bib Gourmand and the Inspector's Choice in the Michelin Pub guide.

It has also played host to royalty, with Prince Harry its most famous customer.

They have gone on to open two additional restaurants with different offerings, continental cafe Muse and Italian restaurant Cena, both in Yarm, and the Devonport will be their fourth venture.

Chef Mr Bennett, who trained with the McCoys and worked at the Cleveland Tontine, said: "It is going to be an eight-bedroom pub hotel. We're going to do pub food, so we're putting in a big fryer and we will be doing fish and chips, suet pies, steak and chips, and so on.

"Obviously we need it to be very different to the Bay Horse as it is not far away and we don't want to compete with ourselves.

It is the first time we have had rooms, and it's something we've always wanted to do."

Mr Bennett added: “The Bay Horse was our first joint business venture and it holds a special place in our hearts. The last ten years have flown by and we’ve enjoyed every minute. We are so grateful to all our customers, our regulars and those passing through.

Mr Bennett, who lives in Gainford, near Darlington, and Mr Hall, who lives in the Middleton St George area, met and became friends at 18 in the Kirklevington Country Club, near Yarm, a nightspot known as The Kirk.

They went into business together for the first time in 2008 as Mr Hall was in the middle of an 18-month career break after establishing then selling Hide, in Yarm, a popular High Street bar.