The Bunbury Arms in Great Barton, near Bury St Edmunds, to reopen on September 14 after complete refurbishment by new landlords Keven and Rebecca Swales

A popular pub which has been closed since the start of the year is set to reopen next week – with its new landlord saying they are ‘raring to go’.

The Bunbury Arms, in Great Barton, will welcome back customers for the first time since it shut in January on Thursday, September 14 from noon.

Keven Swales and his wife Rebecca are at the helm and have overseen a complete refurbishment, with new chairs, tables, kitchen equipment and a fresh lick of paint.

They had planned to reopen in August which was delayed.

A new menu will be released on Wednesday, promising classic carveries which the pub was well-known for and classic dishes with a twist.

Mr Swales, who was a pot washer as a teenager at the pub before enjoying a catering career and running his own construction firm, said: “We’re excited and raring to go. We just want to reopen now. I know a lot of people want to come back.”

The head chef is Andy Knight, who has worked at numerous venues as a freelance chef including Elveden Inn, and the sous-chef is James Wright, who was previously at the Henny Swan in Sudbury.

Mr Swales was interested in the pub back in January but was busy with his construction firm and the Bunbury Arms was nearly taken over by Lesley and Jim Callinan, who run The Pykkerrel Inn, in Ixworth, but they pulled out.

At the age of 15 to 16, Mr Swales used to work at the Bunbury Arms, when it was managed by Tom Wortley, as a pot washer and helped out in the kitchens.

He went on to work in outside catering, front of house, waitering, as a bar manager for various companies and ran weddings.

Three to four years ago, Mr Swales left the catering industry to start a construction business, which will continue while he runs the pub.