F Word-winning licensees leave pub

The Pheasant at Keyston, Cambridgeshire, which was run by Jay and Taffeta Scrimshaw, has been taken over by Huntsbridge Group, its original owner.

When the Scrimshaws took it on, Huntsbridge was the main lender and bank guarantor and the pub was to come back to it if the new ownership did not work out.

The company also owns the nearby Old Bridge Hotel and adjacent wine shop in Huntingdon.

The Old Bridge’s former chef Simon Cadge has moved over to run the kitchen at the Pheasant while his partner will manage front of house once released from her current employer. It re-opened last week.

“We are very sad that it didn’t work out for Jay and Taffeta, but it just proves how difficult it is to run a successful pub business in the current climate,” said John Hoskins, who owns Huntsbridge with wife Julia. “We are excited to take it back on.”

The pub seats 75 inside and 30 outside and has been repainted and refreshed. The food on offer will be similar to the Old Bridge but with more “snacky” dishes, such as sausages & mash and fish pie.

Hoskins aims to gauge customer reaction and “adapt” the menu accordingly.

“The Pheasant must be somewhere that people associate with good food, but also a place to have a pint or sit outside.”

When Hoskins sold the Pheasant in 2007, it was to downsize his business to focus on fewer projects. Having done that, he decided it was time to return.