An experienced publican has taken over his latest venue in the Suffolk village of Monks Eleigh – and is hoping it becomes the "centre" of the community.

Denis Young took over The Swan earlier this month from the previous landlords.

Mr Young also runs a pub in Buckhurst in Essex, The Railway Bar and Grill, which focuses on live entertainment.

However, after seven years in charge he found that he wasn't needed to run it anymore, and decided to take on the challenge of running a destination pub, which he managed to get ready in just four days.

The pub has three bedrooms, a single, a double and a family room, which all have en-suite bathrooms.

Speaking about his first few weeks in business, he said: "It's been good— the first weekend we had a wedding.

"I was looking for a destination site all over Norfolk and Suffolk. One day, I saw this pop up on the internet, and went up, and spoke to the current owners.

"They were willing to sell at the right price, and we agreed on it. I then brought Leanne in, who is a catering chef and now one of my managers.

"She's local, lives in the area and knows the local demographics and what potential it has so advised me to go ahead with it."

Speaking about the pub's food, Mr Young revealed The Swan will serve classic dishes – but he's also in talks to bring in food from overseas.

He said: "We've got a new chef, Gary. He's very good, he comes with a lot of credentials. One of my managers is a qualified chef with her own catering company, so has worked with conjunction with him to come up with a new menu.

"It will be a pub menu, with pub classics and a few specials here and there.

"We are also chatting with a Thai food entrepreneur, so we might have a Thai Tuesday, adding another element of food here.

"This village doesn't have anything besides this pub so it makes life a little bit easier for them to bring different types of food under one umbrella so they can try it."

He added: "With the continuing support of the villagers, we hope to make this pub something they can be proud of, that they can come in and feel at home in, and can be the centre of the community, as it should be."