A London couple desperate to jump off the corporate treadmill are celebrating the start of a lifelong dream after getting the keys to The Stapleton Arms in Buckhorn Weston.
While Jo dreamt of vineyards, Phil was dreaming about owning a guesthouse by the sea and the first lockdown gave the couple the chance to discuss their future and their dreams.
Phil said: “We chatted and decided that a blend of the two ideas could be a pub with restaurant and rooms. Once lockdown eased, we started our search across Dorset, Devon and Somerset. What was important to us was to be part of a community.”
And then The Stapleton Arms flashed up and the pair were struck with the building, its four letting rooms, the grounds and paddock, perfect for their six-year-old son William, and suddenly their plans began to feel real.
As the family headed home after that first visit, Phil had an inkling he had been there before but couldn’t place it until he realised it was where his best friend Alex and his wife Sarah were married. And in a strange twist of fate, Sarah’s brother Simon and his wife Douanne have recently bought The Queens Arms in nearby Corton Denham.
Since March, the couple have been revitalising the building, jet washing, painting and making repairs. And the couple held a socially-distanced garden party with 20 villagers helping to clear the brambles and pull the weeds from the neglected garden. The entire pub has been given a complete overhaul and the garden is crammed with flora and fauna.
Phil said: “We have had neighbours and villagers offering to help and support us and we have made genuine friendships, which has overwhelming. The first week we were open was actually very emotional for us, to see them here enjoying their old pub again. We really do feel honoured that the pub and the village have seemingly chosen us to be the custodians.”
Jo and Phil’s vision for the Stapleton Arms is for a well- supported local, with a good selection of ales and cider and outstanding locally- sourced food to create pub classics and the more adventurous specials created by renowned chef Michael Bright, who is at the helm in the kitchen
Phil said: “We went for dinner and ordered our son William fish and chips to come with our starters, as he is a slow and difficult eater. William literally wolfed the lot down before we had come close to finishing our starters – this is when we realised Mike is our perfect chef! People in the village have said his fish and chips are the best they have ever tasted.”
“Mike cooks scallops to perfection, which is another speciality dish of his. We hope to become a destination pub with a menu inspired by local producers. And we have an excellent wine menu.”
ON TAP: The staff are ready to welcome you at the bar
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