Landlord of The Royal George in Barningham, near Diss, looks back on one year since takeover

The landlord responsible for bringing a village pub back to life has looked back on his first year.

The Royal George, in Church Road, Barningham, relaunched under Bob Randle and Nick King on October 11, 2024.

From the onset, their goal was clear, turn it into a community oriented, family-friendly local with pride of place in the heart of the village.

Bob and Nick worked slowly to restore the Royal George to its former glory while steering it through a turbulent economic climate.

Bob said: “It has been good. We didn’t expect to make much money. It is just a case of getting through each week.

“To celebrate the anniversary, we’ll have karaoke and buffet food to look after the locals because they looked after us.

“I live nearby and we took over the pub because we did not want to lose it. Our aim was to turn it into a family fun pub where everyone is welcome, including dogs and children, where before they were not allowed.”

Bob, who worked in marketing before he retired, said he had no experience in running a pub before he took over the Royal George.

The difficulty of the trade came as a shock to him and he stated anyone unwilling to put up with long hours and a heavy workload would not survive.

However, he felt pubs also served an important social role, particularly in villages.

Looking to the future, Bob said the pair hoped to eventually buy the building.

“We hope to continue turning the Royal George into a really nice pub,” he added.

“We’ve worked hard but a lot more is needed to turn it into a beautiful pub that will last forever. That is what we want, a true legacy of our past.

“I look forward to changes in law, where the hospitality sector is important. I just hope, in the future, people will get back into using pubs and see them as their social networking places and that we do not lose them.”