Four in a Bed landlord hoping to sprinkle magic at another Teesside pub, with big beer garden plans

There's no stopping landlord Michael Crane, who has taken on his second pub this year.

Michael, who appeared on the hit TV series Four in a Bed, has taken over the running of The Parkwood Hotel in Stockton's Hartburn. The move comes just three months after Michael and his partner, Jai Benison, took over the running of the Otter and Fish in Hurworth in January - a move which he says is proving very successful.

Michael, who also runs the popular Fox Inn in Guisborough, says he will be overseeing the running of all the pubs and most of the staff at the Parkwood Hotel have stayed on. He also plans to employ an area manager as well.

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He said: "What we are going to do is establish new menus and the chefs are currently training for those. We will also have a mini steakhouse there as well."

Like his other pubs The Parkwood Hotel will be dog friendly as well as child friendly. Michael said the inside of The Parkwood will stay much the same as it is now, but he has plans to carry out a big refurbishment of the beer garden in time for the summer months.

He said: "It is well known in the area for its big beer garden, so most of our refurbishment work will be carried out there."

The 30-year-old said: "The Parkwood is really a nice, big pub. It's a really good venue. We hope to carry the menus across all the pubs, but with a different vibe. The Otter and Fish is more of a restaurant."

Michael, who was just 21 when he started running the Fox Inn, said The Parkwood will be back open for drinking on Monday and will shortly have its menu up and running to welcome diners in.

The dad-of-three, who lives with his family in Flatts Lane, took part in the popular television series, Four in a Bed, in June 2017, along with Jai, but unfortunately were pipped at the post to the coveted winners' plaque.

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