Billingford Horseshoes, near Diss, set for big reopening day, complete with special offers, after renovating the interior

A couple have taken a chance on reopening a village pub, with the hope that local support will help revitalise the business.

Mark and Julie Howlett took over The Horseshoes in Billingford in September and have been busy refurbishing the pub while they search for staff and stock providers.

“We have had a new kitchen put in and the interior is now looking good,” said Mrs Howlett. “We’re still looking for staff and it’s difficult to get brewers to commit to supplying bottles when we can’t promise to sell hundreds, so it’s been a challenge.

“The gas and electricity prices have risen a lot since we took over and we have had to prioritise the parts of the business that are most profitable, which is why we’re starting out as a bottle and food pub.

“My background is working as a chef and I’m looking to offer traditional, home-cooked food.

“We will then look to adjust what we offer based on popularity and demand, but neither of us have ever run a pub so it will be a learning process that we hope people will get behind.”

For Mr and Mrs Howlett, who both hail from Suffolk originally, the venture will represent something of a dream come true.

“We always wanted to own a pub and, while we know this is a challenge, we hope people will get behind us and make it a success,” Mrs Howlett told the Diss Express.

“My husband spent 37 years working as a mechanic, but he reached the point where he’d had enough. Then we both ended up working at the Stonham Barns bistro for a while.

“Having spoken to the brewery, the decision to take this on was a fine line, and we could just as easily have made a different choice with the cost-of-living pressures and the price of gas and electric, but we just need to work hard, cross our fingers and see how it goes.

“My husband and I actually drove over and parked nearby when the previous owners were there, and we hardly saw any customers, but then this will be a fresh start and a new direction and we hope people will come along and support us.

“We’re excited, nervous and terrified at the same time, but we’ll take each day as it comes and we have been encouraged by the number of people who have popped their head in to say hello in recent weeks.

“It’s been a good response all round since we officially announced the opening and we hope that will translate to people telling us what they want and giving us feedback so we can adapt as we go along.

“Some people might be keen on draught beers, and we’re open to having them put back in if the demand is there.

“We look forward to seeing everyone on January 27.”

The Horseshoes, which will also be offering bed and breakfast, will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, between 8am and 4pm, and on Sundays, from 9am to 3pm. It will be closed on Wednesdays.

To celebrate the opening, Mr and Mrs Howlett will be offering 10 per cent off all orders for the first five people through the doors, with every customer in February given a raffle ticket for a chance to win a free meal for four people.