Vicar set to pull pints after West Malvern locals buy pub

Rev Becky Elliott said she had not pulled a pint in 30 years

A vicar will be helping pull pints in a village pub when it reopens on Saturday after residents raised more than £400,000 to buy it.

The Brewers Arms, in West Malvern, Worcestershire, closed in June and villagers decided to step in.

In six weeks, 437 people pitched in to raise the funds, but with no full-time manager recruited yet, Rev Becky Elliott will be helping behind the bar.

"I think it's going to be really fun," she said.

"I haven't pulled a pint for about 30 years so it could go a bit wrong [but] I've had one go and it looked OK."

Rev Elliott, whose church, St James, is near to the pub, said she was delighted to be among those asked to help serve customers.

"I was joking a while ago that I'd love to work in a pub and somebody took that message back to the committee and said 'the vicar would like a go' so here I am," she explained.

The community set up the group to buy the pub when owners Admiral Taverns decided to sell.

Resident Mark Haslam said so many people wanted to chip in as the pub, the only one in the village, had been an integral part of the area for more than 150 years and popular with visitors and walkers.

Mark Haslam said a team of volunteers had worked to renovate the pub for its reopening

Mr Haslam said he had stepped in to be temporary landlord until the group found a full-time one, adding he was amazed the community had managed to get the venue ready as they only got the keys in September.

"We've had teams of people doing gardening, interior designing - what a team effort it's been and it's amazing," he said.

The group plans to use the money it makes operating the venue to cover running costs, with any surplus going towards future projects including renovating an annex building and planting an orchard to make cider.