From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Charlotte Phillips, 23 November 2025.

The Pig and Pickle to open in Seal, near Sevenoaks, next month, at former Crown Point pub site.

A historic pub is set to reopen next month after a major transformation.

Husband and wife Alfie and Katie Johnson are preparing to open The Pig and Pickle at the former "Crown Point" pub in Seal, Sevenoaks, on December 1.

The Pig and Pickle is set to reopen next month after a major transformation.

The couple, who live in Detling, took on the site around six weeks ago after a 17-month-long process to secure the lease.

“Since then, it’s been go, go, go”, Katie explained.

“We’ve basically refurbished the entire place. We've completely stripped it and painted everything.

“There are all new floors, a new bar, and a new kitchen going in.

“When we took over, the state of it was just so bad – there were holes in the ceilings, we had to get roof repairs done, as well as car park repairs.

Husband and wife Alfie and Katie Johnson have been renovating the pub for the past six weeks.

The Pig and Pickle in Seal, near Sevenoaks, will be opening on December 1.

“We’ve also had a gardening team come in to do the whole front. We've done so much to it already, and we're just at the final hurdle now.”

The pub, in Sevenoaks Road, was previously called "Crown Point" before closing and later reopening as the "Amherst Inn." It shut last year following the death of its co-owner.

Katie and Alfie’s friends and family have also helped them with refurbishment work.

The pair, who have been together for 15 years, have previously refurbished several other pubs and also previously ran a Champagne bar in Spain between 2017 and 2021.

Katie, who is originally from Rochester, said: “Each pub has just got bigger and bigger.

The floor has been replaced and a new bar has been added to the site.

The pair say they want the new venue to feel like a classic country pub.

“We've sort of got quite a little knack for taking really run-down pubs and then doing them up to the best of our abilities.”

The couple both work full-time, with Katie working as a beautician and Alfie, who is originally from Bexley, in property.

The idea for the name of the pub came from their two dogs – Blue, their French Bulldog, who they refer to as “the pig”, and Nuggie, their teacup chihuahua, who they call “the pickle”.

They say they want the new venue to feel like a classic country pub that will make visitors feel nostalgic.

They have also been collecting board games for customers to enjoy once it opens.

The couple named the pub after their two dogs.

The pair want the pub to feel "cosy and nostalgic."

She explained: “We wanted to make it feel like a real country, old-style pub that people would have gone to when they were younger. It’s going to be very cosy.

“Our food is going to bring back some memories, we've got like old-school trifle and then school cake and custard and things like that.

“We’ve also upcycled lots of old furniture. There’s nothing better than restoring something and making it your own.”

Katie, 39, and Alfie, 42, decided to take on the site as their families had been big fans of the pub in the past.

Katie explained: “My family used to go there, and so did Alfie's family years and years ago. It used to be the place to go, and it just felt like the right time for us to take it on now.”

The pair have painted the walls and replaced all the floors.

She added that they are “going for a big community vibe” and will be using all local produce.

While they will be soft-launching the opening on December 1, they have many more plans for the future.

Katie says the pub previously had a carvery section in part of its restaurant, which they are hoping to refurbish at a later date.

She explained: “We won’t be doing a carvery, but we’re aiming to eventually have the best roast in Kent, and also we're going to have like a big pizza oven out there.

“So once the pub is open, Alfie and I are going to work behind the scenes on the other side of the restaurant.

The pair have been refurbishing the site for the past six weeks.

The Pig and Pickle will be opening on December 1.

“I think if we opened it all up straight away, we'd just fall flat on our faces because it's so big.

“We've also got huge plans for a big play area to go outside in the garden eventually, we're going to have like hog roasts, beer festivals, gin festivals.

“We've no neighbours, we're sort of on our own down there, so we’re going to have live music on Sundays and stuff like that.

“We've got big plans for the place, we just want to bring back some love to it”.

They’ve already hired around 32 members of staff and say they have received a “huge” amount of support from people in the local area since announcing their plans for the site.

Katie added: "Everyone's just gone mad for it. The support has been incredible, it's amazing how much it’s taken off. We just can’t wait to get it open now”.