A historic pub in the centre of Norwich has announced it will reopen as a shop as well as a free house.

The Garnet in Market Place has teamed up with other local producers to sell their products in the front section of the main bar.

As well as the current refurbishments a website is also being built to sell the goods.

Lauren Gregory runs The Garnet, and said: “After a month of anxious panic about how the ‘new normal’ would work within a pub capacity I decided it was time to take back control of our destiny in so far as we could.

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“I turned to what had been giving me comfort throughout the lockdown and it became glaringly obvious it fell in to three categories: booze, food and community.”

She said: “We are so proud of our situation within Norwich and on the market and hope very much to involve as many local suppliers as we possibly can (by not only stocking them but by running stories on our website with links to them). So far deliveries have arrived from Pump St Bakery, Norwich Mustard, Rocketship Sauces, Gnaw, Lacons, Norfolk Gin as well as our friends on the market like Little Red Roaster coffee and Taxi Vintage who are creating our masks for when we re-open.”

Although part of the bar has been replaced with display units The Garnet will still be offering drinks and take-away food to customers.

As well as drinks the Garnet will still be offering their popular sausage rolls and pies, but are encouraged to take their drinks and food to go.

On top of this, orders made for the shop via the online store will be prepared in advance to avoid queues.

A one way system will also be in place to practise social distancing.

Ms Gregory added: “The George Plunkett Room and private dining room will still be available for private hire for responsibly distanced drinks within the building for the foreseeable future - only until we can safely open these spaces more publicly again which will happen in time.”