Barry and Jane Waterman who have run for The White Horse, in Beyton near Bury St Edmunds, for 40 years recognised with specially made plaque

A couple who have run a village pub for 40 years and could be the longest-serving landlords working in partnership with Greene King have been recognised with a specially made plaque.

Barry and Jane Waterman took on The White Horse, in Beyton, in 1984, and have been a lynchpin of community life.

The pair have run pubs in partnership with brewery Greene King for 47 years, having started at their first in Cambridge in 1977.

It is thought the couple could be one of, if not the longest serving, publicans still operating pubs with Greene King to this day.

In recognition of their 40 years at The White Horse, Dan Robinson, Greene King Pub Partners managing director, Phil Arnold, operations director, and Sam Wortley, business development manager, presented them with a specially made plaque to display at the pub.

Barry and Jane said: “We are so flattered to receive this plaque in recognition of our 40 years at The White Horse.

“Serving the local community has always been at the very core of how we run our businesses and adapting to the needs of the community over the last 40 years has been key to our success.

“We’d like to thank all our customers and staff over the years – along with Greene King – for all their support.”

Recognised within the industry for their adaptability, which has seen them remain a successful pub business over the last 40 years, the couple are known for their Real Ale expertise.

This has seen them win awards from CAMRA and they remain to this day the longest-serving publicans in the West Suffolk and Borders branch of CAMRA.

The pub more recently added a range of vegan dishes to its menu, in line with growing consumer trends.

One of The White Horse’s most unique features is a 60ft well, which starts at the bar and goes to an underground stream.

It is thought the stream was the water source for a brewery that was on site at the pub in the 17th century.

Mr Robinson said: “It is an absolute privilege to recognise Barry and Jane. Forty years of running The White Horse and 48 years of running pubs in partnership with Greene King is outstanding.

“I am proud to call them our partners and look forward to many more years of success together – serving the people of Beyton.”