AN award-winning pub which closed at the start of the year is set to re-open under new management before the end of the month.

The Hare and Hounds Pub, which shut abruptly in January and was previously run by Kerry and Mark King, is now being completely refurbished by new owners James Brown and Kieran McClure.

Mr Brown, who is from Essex, has not set an exact date for when regulars will be able to return to the hostelry, but it is hoped it will before Saturday, April 1.

Before then, major work will continue to take place so the venue – which will also house a post office two days each week – can be brought up to standard.

Mr Brown, 49, said: “All the food will be locally sourced, and so will the beer – it’s about reopening a good quality pub.

“The main thing I want to get is re-establishing the food and the restaurant, then over time we want to develop what’s going on with campsite.

“I’m really excited about it being a community pub.”

He said groups around the Layer Breton area have already got in touch inquiring about the opening date in the coming weeks.

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“It seems very popular in the village – the local cycling club and the shooting club have contacted me.

“Someone has also got in touch about the coronation weekend and I’m in the middle of planning an Easter egg hunt for kids.

“There are a few bigger projects [we are thinking about] which might take a bit more time.”

Experience is not something Mr Brown and his business partner, Mr McClure, are lacking.

For the past 20 years, Mr Brown has worked for Fuller Smith and Turner, a high-end pub and hotel chain.

“My business partner has been doing pubs even longer than me – between us, we have 75 years’ experience in the hospitality sector.

“[When the pub became available] he phoned me and said ‘can you look at this’, and I said yes straight away.

“It’s a beautiful site in a beautiful location and I know the pub has got a lot of potential growth as well.”