A FORMER village sub-postmaster has taken over the running of a west Dorset pub.

Marcel Gommers and his wife Kitty are the new friendly faces behind the bar at the Royal Oak in Drimpton.

The Dutch-born couple came to the UK 15 years ago and have since working in a variety of jobs.

After leaving his position as the sub-postmaster in Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands, Marcel and Kitty have explored the UK in a motorhome.

Marcel said he had searched far and wide for the right pub for him and Kitty to look after.

"We wanted a small pub, which the two of is could run," he said.

"We searched for months from the north-east of England to the south coast and at last found ourselves in west Dorset.

"I believe a pub belongs to the community and we are renting it for a while."

Kitty said she already feels at home at the Royal Oak.

“The village is lovely," she said. "The locals are really friendly and helpful and it has very much the same feel as in Cromarty.

“The village pub, like the village post office, is the hub of the community.”

The Gommers are freshening the pub, beer garden and skittle alley. The kitchen is Kitty’s domain and a light lunch menu is on offer, with a traditional Sunday lunch and a choice of evening meals from Tuesday to Saturday as well as coffee, tea and cakes.

The Royal Oak is one of a handful Palmers Brewery's pubs in and around Beaminster that have new landlords.

Chris Davies and Alex Barrow have taken over at The Greyhound and Richard Reano at The White Lion in Broadwindsor. The brewery is looking for new tenants at the Red Lion in Beaminster and has confirmed plans for a major refurbishment of the pub this autumn.

Tenanted trade director Jayson Perfect, said: “The Red Lion has great potential.

“It’s a sizeable building with a strong local following. The pub would suit an experienced couple ready to continue to build the business.”