MyNewPub

Plough Inn, Wissett, Suffolk

Agent: UK Pub Sales

Nick and Debbie Sumner have just taken ownership of the Plough Inn, Wissett, Suffolk, and are settling in well. The couple owned a gardening business in Hertfordshire before buying the freehold pub.

Nick Sumner said: "It was quite daunting at first - we opened on a Saturday night and it was very busy. Luckily, the locals warned us that it would be and we had four people

behind the bar. We're really enjoying it - on a busy night there's a great atmosphere; it's like an engine running."

The couple are very hands-on, employing only four part-time staff. Debbie runs the bar and Nick handles the kitchen and the cellar.

The pub was in pretty bad shape when the couple moved in and they have spent between £15,000 and £20,000 bringing it up to scratch. They are planning gradual investment in the

business and believe there is another two years' worth of work to be done before the pub is exactly how they want it.

Nick has come up with a novel idea to overcome the problem of a one-acre beer garden. He's looking into purchasing an old-fashioned red telephone box so that customers can order drinks without making the trek to the bar.

Nick said: "We haven't really done any marketing, apart from for our beer festival in July.

"We don't want to alienate our regulars by inviting people from further afield. If the trade dips, we'll consider it, but at the moment, it's going up and up."