A NEW PUB has opened in Blackwood, owned by the former manager of Four Seasons at the Aber Hotel.

Clive D’Angelo-Smith has opened his ‘passion project’ pub The Halfway House in Upper Gelligroes in Blackwood.

He has opened the Halfway House after the unexpected closure of his former pub The Four Seasons at the Aber, which is now under new management.

The pub is the first in a planned group of chef and butcher sites for Mr D’Angelo Smith and his business partner, local butcher Chris Hayman, who also supplies all the meat for the pub. 

The duo bought the site from Stonegate Brewery in August and officially opened in October, with a focus on supporting local businesses in the hospitality industry in light of the cost-of-living crisis.

Despite the current financial situation, they have had a very successful first month, with regular sell-outs on Thursdays and Sundays.

South Wales Argus: Clive D'Angelo-Smith is the proud owner of The Halfway House, which supports local businessesClive D'Angelo-Smith is the proud owner of The Halfway House, which supports local businesses (Image: Sallie Phillips, Newsquest)The turnover of tables is so high on Sundays that they are frequently serving around 120 customers a day.

Mr D’Angelo-Smith said: “We’ve been wanting to get our own place together for about three years, so to be able to get this beautiful place has been a dream come true. It was all done so quickly as well – we looked around in May and were owners by August.

“The response from the community has been amazing. Some people might think we are mad for opening a pub in the middle of the cost-of-living crisis, but we knew people would come as there wasn’t really anywhere for a nice meal out around here.”

The Halfway House is currently closed on Mondays and Tuesdays but are open to extending their opening hours if the demand arises.

They are already proving very popular for Christmas bookings, with their family ‘Breakfast with Santa’ event almost fully sold out.

In order to keep up with the constant requests for availability, the team are using an online booking system, which enables them to see how many bookings they have for a table at any one time.

South Wales Argus: There are a range of different dishes available at the Halfway HouseThere are a range of different dishes available at the Halfway House (Image: The Halfway House)Being part of the community is of utmost importance to Mr D’Angelo-Smith and his team, hence why they focus on using local produce and hiring students and residents of the area as members of staff.

Mr D’Angelo-Smith added: “We’ve only been going for a short time, but the support we’ve had from customers has been amazing and we are so humbled.

“It’s been a really hard year for us all, but now it’s really starting to pay off. We hope that our focus on local produce is reflected in our prices which are affordable for everyone.”

The pub offers a day menu that is available until 4pm each day with lunchtime classics, and then from 4pm-7.30pm, they offer a full menu.

Popular meals include award-winning curries, locally sourced burgers, and steaks as well as a decadent selection of desserts. 

South Wales Argus: The Halfway House offers a decadent selection of dessertsThe Halfway House offers a decadent selection of desserts (Image: The Halfway House)On Sundays, they are open 12-4.30pm, with their incredibly popular roast dinners available, reflected in being fully booked for the next few weeks.

You can find the Halfway House at Upper, Gelligroes, Blackwood NP12 2HT.