A ROMSEY pub has been nominated for a prestigious award within the industry.

The Hunters Inn have made it to the last three in the Stars of Stonegate awards, from hundreds who originally entered.

Owner Chris Schutrups bought the pub six months ago and has endeavoured to make it family friendly with food made with local ingredients.

Chris said: “In the south coast area, we were among around 400 pubs that were looked at. We made it to the last three. From there, the award ceremony happens in November to recognise the regional Stars of Stonegate and then ultimately, the Star of Stonegate.

“We are exceptionally honoured to have been recognised by the board of Stonegate having only had ownership of the Hunters Inn for around six months. We've taken the pub and renovated it to be a family and dog friendly hub for the community.

“We've invested over £100,000 in the business which has been everything from structural work on the pub itself to outside seating. Also a brand new play area which is one of very few in Romsey.

“We've taken on Duncan Young, an exceptionally talented operator in hospitality. Also Max Beale our experienced head chef. From that we have create a team who really love what they are doing.

“When we took over, we were 37th out of 105 in Romsey on Tripadvisor. We are now second and we are the number one pub. We have also managed to donate in excess of £4,000 already to local causes.”

The Hunters Inn has been at the heart of the community for hundreds of years and was known by its previous name of The Old Rising Sun back in the 1800s.

The purchase, from popular previous owners Gary Whitfield and Gina McDonald who took the decision earlier this year to focus on their full time careers, will secure the future of the community hub for generations to come.

For more details on the pub, visit: huntersinnromsey.com.