The Bunbury Arms in Great Barton, near Bury St Edmunds, to be taken over by landlord of The Pykerrel Inn in Ixworth after three-month closure

A popular pub in Great Barton, near Bury St Edmunds, is set to reopen next month after a three-month closure.

Lesley Callinan, who runs The Pykkerrel Inn in Ixworth with husband Jim, has said she will be taking on The Bunbury Arms, which closed in January this year, and hopes to open its doors to the public on May 16.

Having run The Pykkerrel Inn for three and a half years, Ms Callinan said she is excited for the challenge and is looking forward to bringing the pub back to its former glory.

Speaking of The Bunbury Arms, she said: "It is a buzzing little pub, it has always been very popular for its carvery and food which is something we want to bring back.

"My husband is very creative when it comes to food and we often drove past The Bunbury Arms and said we'd like to run a pub and restaurant there.

"It is also within five minutes of where we are now, so it is a great opportunity."

The pair plan to begin serving traditional pub grub, including fish and chips, pies and lasagne, upon opening and will work towards launching the carvery and breakfast menus after a few months.

She said residents have been 'desperate' for the carvery to be reopened since the pub's closure, and added that the reception from residents who have found out about her taking it over has been welcoming.

"We've got a good reputation round here so we are hoping to take that to The Bunbury and for people to recognise us for our great food," she said.
"We're also planning themed nights and curry nights, which we hope will go down really well with residents.

"We are really excited for the new venture and to bring it back for local people."

The Bunbury Arms closed suddenly in January and pub company Greene King launched a search to find a new tenant.

Ms Callinan said her and her husband have some work to do to restore and clean their new pub ready for the big day, but that no major building work is needed.

She said the biggest problem they face at the moment is finding the staff to work in their new venture, as the former staff moved on to different roles following the closure.

They plan to run a recruitment event in the future and anyone who may wish to work at the pub should email lesleyc1968@gmail.com for more information.