Rishi Sunak joins villagers to reopen George and Dragon pub

The George and Dragon in Hudswell has welcomed new operators Sam Harrison and Becky Westgarth, who also run The Green Dragon in Exelby.

Mr Sunak, MP for Richmond and Northallerton, visited the community-owned pub on opening day to meet the team and hear about their plans to refresh the food offering, maintain the pub’s reputation for cask ales, and carry out minor interior upgrades.

Rishi Sunak with Becky and villagers (Image: Supplied)

He said: “It was a pleasure to join everyone in Hudswell for the reopening of the George and Dragon and to welcome Sam and Becky as they take on this much-loved pub.

“This pub has an outstanding story behind it, with local people stepping forward to save their pub and I wish Sam and Becky much success.”

The pub was saved by residents in 2010 after a period of closure and relaunched as a community-owned venue under Hudswell Community Pub Ltd, a co-operative and community benefit society.

Since then, it has earned multiple awards and become a recognised example of how communities can protect valued village assets.

Rishi Sunak with Becky and villagers (Image: Supplied)

Mr Sunak has consistently supported community-owned pubs across his constituency and highlighted their role as social hubs in rural villages.

The new proprietors said the visit was a morale boost on their first day.

They said: “It was great to welcome Rishi, especially on our opening day and it gave everyone a boost.

“Our plans for the pub are to build on everything that people already value about the pub.

“We’ll be making some small improvements to the interior, but making sure we keep the character and charm that make the pub so special.”

Mr Harrison and Ms Westgarth bring experience of running successful rural pubs through their work at Exelby’s Green Dragon.

Their arrival has been warmly welcomed by the community, who are eager to see the George and Dragon continue to thrive.

The pub recently served as a filming location for the upcoming TV episode Our Yorkshire Pub, which is expected to air later this year.