Rising Sun in Stockross reopens after 11 months

Former West Berkshire Brewery pub back in business under new management

THEY have never run a pub before and the landlady pulled her first-ever pint just three weeks ago.

But that has not stopped husband and wife Chrissy and Dave Payne from embarking on their business venture as the new owners of The Rising Sun pub in Stockcross.

The pub has been shut since June 2014 when the previous owner, West Berkshire Brewery, described it as a “loss-making venue”.

Since acquiring the lease, Mr and Mrs Payne have been busy refurbishing the building to turn it back into a “vibrant community pub”.

Speaking to the s, Mrs Payne said: “We used to come to this pub when we were courting about 30 years ago.

“It has always been a dream of mine to run a pub and I always said I’d love it to be this one. It’s a dream come true.

“We’ve never run a pub before and I only pulled my first pint three weeks ago.

“We certainly shocked a lot of our friends and family when we announced we had bought the pub; they didn’t have a clue that was what we were doing.”

The couple had been in negotiations with West Berkshire Brewery since before Christmas and picked up the keys in March. Then they had around five weeks to refurbish.

Speaking about the local reaction, Mrs Payne added: “We have had an overwhelming response from people in the village – everyone has been so kind, supportive and welcoming.

“It was a manic five weeks with tears, but we got there in the end, thanks to a lot of help from family and friends.

“Our three children – Jess, Alex and Lauren – have also been mucking in by helping with the refurbishment.”

The pub has been completely repainted, with new blinds and furniture – something Mrs Payne described as a “major task for two novices”.

The pub is not currently serving food but plans to introduce a traditional pub grub menu in the coming weeks.