Nub News gets UP CLOSE with David and Amanda Fisher who have taken over at the White Horse in Old Felixstowe, and discover the hard working couple are old school publicans who listen to what their customers want and enjoy a laugh.

It takes a special sort of couple to take on and open up a new pub in these times but if anyone can make it work, it is going to be David and Amanda Fisher.

With a couple of other pubs already in their portfolio, the dynamic duo will be opening the White Horse at noon today and are looking forward to embracing the Felixstowe community.

Steeped in the pub industry, David and Amanda know what they are doing. The couple started off with the Swan at Alderton and now have the Castle at Framlingham (yes, the one Ed Sheeran sang about) and the Swan and Hedgehog in Ipswich.

Although a trained pharmacist, Amanda has been supplementing he income with bar work, in Essex and then Suffolk, for years, while David's dad was a drayman with Tolly Cobbold, so he has been around pubs much of his life.

That experience and knowledge is evident when David explained why they were bucking the trend by opening another pub, and why the White Horse in particular.

"There are too many pubs closing and when Punch told us the White Horse was closing, and had been been since the beginning of Covid, we said we would give it ago and open it up for the community around here," David said.

"Things have changed due to Covid but we feel it is important that people have somewhere they can go and meet up, as long as they adhere to the guidelines.

"We basically want this to be the hub of the community.

"We know this is lovely residential area and for people can't travel too far, this is an ideal place for us to open up and be able to use as a meeting place.

"A lot of people are working from home so this is somewhere they can come for break. also knowing it is safe."

Amanda enthusiastically added: "As soon as we came we could see it is a stunning pub with a lovely feel. There is so much potential with the outbuildings too, and we can get table and chairs into the stables to provide more space.

"It is a beautiful part of the world, a stone's throw from the beach."

The couple met 23 years ago while Amanda was working in a hospital pharmacy and David was a medical courier and they bought their first pub six years ago, so they know all too well the importance of hygiene in a customer facing environment.

"Coming from a hospital background we have dealt with a number of things over the years and we understand that side of hygiene and safety too," said Amanda. "So when people come in here they can rest assured they will be safe."

Like a well-tuned double act David and Amanda are in sync with how they want to take the White Horse going forward.

With managers in place at the Castle and Swan and Hedgehog, they couple will be focusing on their new venture, but will not be forcing their ideas on the locals, on the contrary, they want feedback from customers, old and new.

While it will be wet sales only to begin with until the kitchen is ready, David is keen it will be home cooked using local produce but exactly what meals will be up to the customers.

"The biggest thing is for us to listen to the customers and give them what they want," said David.

"We don't want them thinking we are coming in and saying, we are going to this, or do that, we will listen to customers and give them what they want."

The gregarious Amanda is a natural front of house landlady and keen to mingle. "I have always loved working behind the bar, getting paid for socialising," she said. "We run all our pubs old school. People are not just customers now. We know them as people, we know their lives and their lifestyles, it is lovely.

"It is also satisfying watching the youngsters coming in with their parents. The next thing you know they are ordering a pint and having touches they are 18. It is them getting older, not us."

The layout of the White Horse lends itself to small groups, maximum of six, and the couple hope small bubbles of people will enjoy meeting up again.

Amanda said: "It is a very very quirky set up, which makes it a lot easier for people to feel safe and distance. Hopefully they will come in and enjoy meeting with not just alcohol, but we have tea and coffee too."

David is keen the locals can get back to normal as soon as possible and is keeping the dart board up for when restrictions are lifted.

"It is definitely something we will look at if that is what people want," said David. "We have a darts team at the Castle and sports in our pubs have been important.

"Pub's have changed over the years. A lot have turned into restaurants and changed the feel. While there is a place for that it is about getting the balance right and we are about welcoming locals and listening to them."

The couple have five daughters between them, aged from 25 down to 15 but that is not going to solve any staffing issues.

Initially staff from the Castle will help out until new people are recruited locally and judging by the interaction as they beavered away getting ready for the opening, the couple are good to work for.

Nub News asked about the Castle's most famous customer Ed Sheeran, the couple were discreet but added: "He sang about us. He is a bit busy with his new child to pop in at the moment."

They then laughed, pointed to Ryan, a tenuous Ed lookalike member of staff, and the banter about guitars, pictures and a lack of vocal ability flowed.

Clearly going into the White Horse is going to be fun.

The couple initially plan to close Mondays and Tuesdays, open Wednesday to Sunday 12noon until 10pm and then look at seven days.

Anyone interested in part-time bar work should contact: [email protected] or pop a CV through the pub's letterbox.