New pub couple raise £350 at charity coffee morning

THE new tenants of the pub in Crazies Hill raised £350 by holding a Macmillan coffee morning.

Owen Hardy and his fiancée Jade Jeffries, who took over the Horns last month, welcomed customers for cake and hot drinks.

There was a choice of 15 cakes and confectionaries, including coffee cake, lemon sponge, vegan brownies and cookies.

These were set up on the bar and staff delivered them to customers at their tables to comply with social distancing rules.

Mr Hardy said: “Unfortunately, Jade’s dad passed away from cancer, so it’s a cause close to our hearts and this was kind of homage to him.

“Everybody loved it and there was such a positive feeling.

“We followed the coronavirus guidelines exactly as we do when we are open normally with table service only. All our regular customers made the cakes and I would like to thank everyone for helping out and for showing their support to us.” The couple took over the Brakspear pub after Richard Chapman decided to move to his native Yorkshire after 18 months. Before coming to Crazies Hill, they ran the White Bear in Warlingham for two years and then the Green Man in Hurst.

Mr Hardy said they had received a warm welcome from the community.

“Things have been going well and we are really enjoying it,” he said.

“When we had our opening night, there wasn’t a free table in the whole pub and we were really pleased. We are hoping to do a Christmas fair with the primary school and get everybody in the village involved in that.

“It will probably be outside, which should make it easier to get everyone together.

“We also want to create a local shop. I don’t know how long it will take to set up but we’d be selling bread and milk as a pop-up farm shop. It is something the village needs.”