The Countryman's Inn - Hunton, North Yorkshire

		www.countrymansinn.co.uk

Villagers rally to save Hunton's last pub...
The Countryman's Inn at Hunton defied all the odds to stay open. Now it's in new hands and faces a rosy future. A few months ago, villagers heard some devastating news - their only pub was to close. But they didn't take it lying down. Instead, they rallied round and decided to see what they could do to save the Countryman's Inn. It was an odd situation. The pub already had planning permission for conversion to a private house, granted some years ago when Hunton still had another pub. But the New Inn is long gone, leaving no scope to challenge the closure through the planning system. The locals formed an action group, raising much publicity and interest. They looked at buying the pub as a cooperative, and visited other similar ventures to see how they were run. CAMRA helped with advice and support. But for various reasons a co-op wasn't practicable. The owner of the free house was determined to get out and the purchase price seemed beyond reach. That's where Neil and Maureen Gardener stepped in. They'd expected a life of leisure after retiring from work, but the idea of taking on a pub took root and grew. Deadlines for closure came and went, with barmaid Jane Huffadine doing her best not only to run the bar for the limited opening hours the owner agreed to, but also gently persuading him of the merits of selling as a going concern.		Early in June, the Countryman's Inn closed. But this was good news - Neil and Maureen were taking over and a fortnight of feverish redecoration by village volunteers saw the pub spick and span for its reopening party on June 18. The Countryman's Inn was wedged to the doors - and business has been brisk ever since. Jane is still behind the bar, helping pull pints of Theakston's Black Bull Bitter, Black Sheep Bitter, Taylor's Landlord and guest beer. Food (served Weds - Sundays, lunch and evenings) is picking up and a young villager, Matthew Lockey, recently joined the crew as a full--time chef. Although they've never run a pub Maureen says: "We've no regrets and we're very happy with the way things are going. The community has been very supportive and things are going very well indeed."


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