A couple taking on their first Shepherd Neame pub together found they needed to hit the ground running as locals and visitors were queuing up to get back into the picturesque pub in its perfect spot on the South Downs.
Fortunately, Greg Coleman and partner Carla Marsh had decades of experience in the hospitality industry behind them to cope with the demand as they reopened The Juggs in Lewes, near Brighton.
One of the prettiest pubs in Lewes, situated in a quiet, leafy village lane, today’s passers-by are more likely to be walkers taking in the delights of the Downs than the fishwives carrying their fish baskets – or ‘juggs’ as they used to be called – to the market in Lewes which the pub is named after.
Head Chef Greg, 53, who has had a long career running restaurant and pub kitchens, said: “It’s very unusual in the trade to have somewhere where you get footfall all the time. People walk over the Downs and they’re outside our door. The beauty of it is it’s such a nice place, with such a lot of history.”
Carla, 46, who is now running Front of House at the pub in The Street, Lewes, adds: “It’s been non-stop since we came in the door! We do know a lot of people because we are from the area but also the locals feel like they have their pub back!”
The building, originally built in the 14th century and added to over the years before being turned into a pub in the early 80s, has also had a thorough refresh, being repainted outside with new signage, a revamp of the large outside garden, as well as some refurbishment inside including new toilets. The team is also a mixture of old and new, with some long-serving members staying including Deputy Manager Jack Walker, while others have joined.
