COUPLE CAN’T WAIT TO TAKE ON THEIR SECOND SHEPHERD NEAME PUB IN A PICTURESQUE KENTISH VILLAGE

A couple who have made a huge success of running their first quintessentially Kentish pub together, are taking on a second just a few miles away.

Tom Gravett and Renata Peret are set to officially reopen Shepherd Neame’s The George Inn in the picturesque village of Newnham this week.

Despite not having been actively looking for a second venture to take on, they had gone for dinner there shortly before the tenancy became available.

They were so taken with the country inn, which is in as idyllic a Kent village as their first - The Three Mariners in Oare - that they decided to take it on themselves and reopen it with the Faversham-based brewery.

They will officially reopen the doors of the historic, beamed pub on Wednesday (July 26).

“We know many people hold The George in high esteem,” said Tom. “It has got a good reputation for good food, and being a beautiful, characterful pub, which it definitely is!

“We can’t wait to get started and are looking forward to breathing life back into it and making it a relaxed environment with a strong slant towards using local produce.”

The couple, who both managed top London venues for 20 years before moving to Oare four years ago with their young family, will continue to run The Three Mariners and, as the two sites are only a few miles apart, they are looking forward to being able to spend time at both.

Renny said: “We will be living super close to both pubs, which is brilliant. We love the energy that The George has - we have to feel the right energy to take somewhere on, and The George definitely has it!”

But she added: “The George and The Three Mariners will be equally as important to us – they are both our babies!” 

They will be introducing an a la carte menu at The George, as they have already done at The Three Mariners, where there is a fish-led menu. Tom describes the new menu as being “the turf to the Mariners’ surf.”

There will also be mouthwatering Sunday roasts, and the menu will also include some of the fresh fish bought straight from local fishing boats. And it will all be cooked up in a newly-installed reconditioned kitchen, which Tom and Renata have had fitted in the last few weeks as part of their preparations to reopen.

They are also keen to utilise the pub’s spacious, lawned pub garden, which looks out over fields at the back, and are hoping to introduce events for locals, such as open air cinema evenings and quiz nights.

Shepherd Neame’s Director of Tenanted Pub Operations, Greg Wallis, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Tom and Renny are taking on a second of our tenanted pubs.

“They have been superb licensees since taking over The Three Mariners and their blend of experience and creativity has already proved successful – they also won their first Shepherd Neame Pub Award for Best Wine Offer in May.

“Their natural enthusiasm and energy creates a warm, welcoming environment for everyone who comes through their doors.” 

You can find The George Inn at 44 The Street, Newnham, Sittingbourne, ME9 0LL. Call 01795 890237 or visit https://www.georgenewnham.co.uk/.