An Oxfordshire brewery has defied the credit crunch to buy its first pub.

The Royal Blenheim in St Ebbe's Street, in the centre of Oxford, will become the flagship venue of White Horse Brewery after a minor refurbishment next week.

The traditional drinking hole belonged to Everards Brewery until it was purchased by the Stanford in the Vale-based brewery for an undisclosed sum three weeks ago.

On Monday, the pub will shut for four days to enable a new sign to be erected and pumps and beer lines to be installed.

New co-owner Andy Wilson, managing director and shareholder of the White Horse Brewery, said the pub would place an emphasis on locally produced beer and food.

He said: "It is a dream come true. We have been looking for a site in the centre of Oxford for the last two years.

"I just think it is in a really good position and in a good student and drinking area. It is our first pub and we are really proud of it."

Mr Wilson said he hoped the revamped pub — complete with new management — would compete against the likes of The Turf Tavern and The Fork Candles in the city centre.

He said: "We want to make it a good traditional, cask ale pub.

"There are two or three good cask ale pubs in Oxford, but none on this side of town."

Mr Wilson, who ran the Hobgoblin pub in St Aldate's seven years ago, set up The White Horse Brewery in 2003.

He said the pub would stock its own ales — White Horse Bitter, Wayland Smithy and Village Idiot — as well as a wide selection of other locally sourced real ales.

Mr Wilson added: "There are lots of local breweries in Oxfordshire which do not get the chance to sell their beers because they can't afford their own premises or they can’t get involved with the big pub groups."