EXCLUSIVE: NEW ERA AT NEWPORT PUB AS ISLAND MAN STEVE FINALLY ‘COMES HOME’

It’s a new dawn at The Prince of Wales pub in Newport, following its takeover by Island man Steve Wheatley. Steve, a born-and-bred Newport boy, lived on the Island until he was 28 when he moved to the mainland to work in the pubs in London and Essex. After a career change moving into the transport sector, Steve decided to come back to the Island some 28 years – spooky right – after he had left. Whilst exploring possible business opportunities, Steve came across a listing for the Town Lane-based pub and was instantly drawn into the idea of being a publican in his hometown. To explore the idea some more, Steve and his partner Sally started to frequent the pub on a semi-regular basis to get a gist of what they were potentially getting themselves into. Having decided it was right for them, they put in a formal offer in January 2024, but once the legal process had run its course, didn’t pull the first pint until the 20th June – the first day of the Isle of Wight Festival. Steve said:

“It was a crazy day to start things off, a real baptism of fire but it went well. “We carried on drinking here, getting to know people until the sale was completed, so it made it so much easier when we did takeover.

Since that busy first weekend, Steve and the team have begun renovating and refreshing the decor inside The Prince of Wales, painting the walls, revamping the bar and changing the layout to make things more accessible and convenient for the punters. A new jukebox has been installed boasting an extensive library of tunes and 3 new TVs have been put on the walls, ready to show sport of any kind. Steve has plans to rip up the old floor and put a new one down as well as to replace the upholstery on the seats to match with the new interior feel. It is hoped that Steve can offer bar food in the near future, once the kitchen has been renovated and there are also plans to apply to the Isle of Wight Council to serve breakfast items in the future too. The Prince of Wales has already hosted some charity and private function events and were even visited by the Ventnor Comic Jazz Band during the Newport Carnival Procession last weekend (20th July). Steve and Sally are to donate all charitable proceeds to Heartbeat. Going forward there are more events planned, head on over to their Facebook page to find out more. Steve has told Island Echo:

“We will make more changes as we go but we don’t want to change things too much. We want to keep the community feel and please the regulars but also want to entice new people in. “I want The Prince of Wales to be back on the map – a real hub of the community. A place that you come to at the start of the night and not just the place you go when you realise nowhere else is open.”

The Prince of Wales is open from 10:30 – 00:00 Monday – Saturday and 12:00 – 00:00 on Sunday.