Determined villagers join forces in financial bid to save their only pub

VILLAGERS have united in a determined effort to raise almost £500,000 to save their local pub for their community.

- by MAXINE DENTON

The Stag Hunt Inn, Ponsanooth's only pub, has been for sale for a year.

In December its current owners Wayne and Michelle Randle announced it would close for a week after New Year's Eve.

However, the day before it was due to reopen on January 7 the couple posted a brief message post on Facebook announcing it would remain closed until further notice.

They later explained that they had decided to close the Stag Hunt Inn as not enough people were using it and they couldn't afford to “keep the pub alive” without more customers.

The inn is still open, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, but residents are hoping to secure its future by turning it into a community pub.

Mark and Katherine Berriman teamed up with their friends Sam and Joanne Fitch with the intention of buying the inn and turning it into a venue that was about more than simply food and drink.

"It started over a pint, really,” Mark said. “We started this journey back in February when the pub had been on the market for a good year or so and had [gone down in price], so we talked about taking it on.