An experienced duo have taken over the running of a second village pub.

Husband and wife team Diane and Andrew Ward already run The Chequers on the Green in High Halden - a pub they took over in 2019 - and are now at the helm of the Bonny Cravat in Woodchurch, near Ashford.

Diane said: “We are really proud of everything we have achieved at The Chequers on the Green and really enjoy working with Shepherd Neame, who have been so supportive since we joined them, particularly during the challenges of the past 18 months.

“After we were able to reopen our pub earlier this year, we decided to look for another tenancy; a second venture to keep things exciting - we like to keep busy. The Bonny Cravat has an amazing history - it is said to have tunnels that connect it to the church. Our aim with the refurbishment was to take it back to a real country pub.”

The pair, who have two teenage children, have extensive experience of the hospitality industry. Andrew grew up in the trade as his parents ran the Tiger Inn in Stowting - between Ashford and Folkestone - and he then trained as a chef. He and Diane ran Wards Hotel in Folkestone together for 14 years, then moved to Spain to launch a small steakhouse chain before returning to run The Chequers on the Green.

Since taking over, they have overseen a complete refurbishment of the pub, including a covered terrace.

Andrew will work as executive head chef across the two establishments, and the day-to-day running of the Bonny Cravat, in Bethersden Road, will be handled by assistant manager Leigha Ferguson, who previously worked for the couple at the Chequers on the Green.

Diane added: "They are sister pubs but they offer very different experiences. We took on the Bonny Cravat because we wanted to do something a little different to The Chequers. It is a pub that lends itself to community events, and we have been lucky to receive incredible support from local residents already; they really want it to do well so they have been very supportive.”

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