West Sussex village pub to reopen after more than four years

The Country Inn in Bepton, near Midhurst, has been taken over by Bryan and Cynthia Austwick after lying empty for more than four years.

The pair have been together for ten years, with Bryan originally hailing from Yorkshire, and Cynthia from Maryland, USA. They have been fortunate to travel and live in many places across the USA and UK, including NYC, London, Baltimore, and Los Angeles; for the past four years. At the beginning of 2022 while living in Las Vegas they decided it was time for their two small children to have better access to their English heritage and a community in which to put down roots.

Cynthia said: “From the very beginning, Fleurets was instrumental in the opportunity to take on our pub. Their easy to use search tools and newsletter were perfect for finding the right property for us, and the team’s friendly and professional approach made the process easy to understand.

“Nick Earee was quick to reply and went above and beyond to help us find additional assistance in getting our business up and running. I would absolutely recommend Fleurets to anyone looking to take on a leisure property in the UK.”

Scheduled renovations are to include a fully updated kitchen, with a large kitchen garden for select farm to table items featured on the menu. The main seating area will look similar to the existing footprint, but with a refreshed ceiling height and updated comfortable seating and separation of dining and standing bar. Toilet facilities will be corrected to be more comfortable, family and wheelchair friendly. Renovations begin immediately, with full support and excitement in the local community.

Additional works include the pub’s outbuilding being transformed from stable/garage workshop into a casual coffee take away, The Stable.

The Stable Coffee Shop is projected to open January 2023, and The Country Inn Pub and Garden are scheduled to open in May. Progress in renovation including headaches and victories will be posted regularly on Instagram @TheCountryInnBepton and grand announcements and official opening days posted on the web at www.thecountryinnbepton.com reach out for direct enquiries to [email protected].