A NEW landlord and landlady have taken over a village pub.

Mark Killick was the chef at the White Hart in West Bergholt for more than two years and said he could not resist trying to get the pub when it came on the market.

He and his wife, Lyndsay, are leasing it from Punch Taverns.

Mark said they planned to return it to be a traditional English country pub offering a warm welcome, home cooked food and good quality drinks.

Mark, 44, who has been a chef for 30 years, was previously the chef at The Castle in Ramsey.

He said: "It was a with a heavy heart I left there but when this pub came up it pulled at my heart strings and it was a great opportunity.

"I worked here between 2008 and 2010 and would do more thanm 100 roasts on a Sunday.

"We want to go back to making this a traditional country pub.

"There have been so many comings and goings here, there have been seven people here in the past year.

"When I came into the pub I saw the flatscreen TV and the fruit machines.

"We want to get rid of that and make this a village pub again with an open fire, warm welcome, good food and good drinks to quench your thirst.

"We are hoping people will judge us on what we do and give us a chance."

It is the first time the couple, who have a two-year-old son, Harry, have run their own pub.

Mark added: "It will all be home-cooked traditional food and I hope to be doing the Sunday roasts as before."