Regular punters to take over the Village Tavern in Coxhoe

A County Durham family is ready to take over the Village Tavern in Coxhoe – with big plans for the future.

Leanne Storr, 43, and her sister Jill Shaw, 50, have teamed up together to take over running the pub after they heard the current landlady was thinking of leaving. 

L-R Abbie Shaw, Leah Storr, Amy Shaw, Jess Storr (the back) Matt Storr, Leanne Storr, Jill Shaw, Ansrew Shaw and Callum Wilson outside their pub the Village Tavern that they are set to take over (Image: LEANNE STORR) Leanne plucked up the courage to go over and speak to the present owner to ask if this rumour was true. It was  – and so they got things into motion. 

The Storr and Shaw families are set to take over the pub on May 1, plan to close it for a week and re-open on May 9 with a ‘grand’ opening. 

Leanne said: “We know it will be a lot of hard work but we are all very excited. 

“We have always together spoken about owning or running our own pub one day but never thought it would happen at all.” 

Jill and Andrew moved from Ferryhill to Coxhoe in 2020 and loved it so much that they convinced Leanne and her family to also make the move from Newton Hall. 

From then on they have lived within walking distance of each other.

Currently, the families visit their local pub at least once a week whether it be for a pint after work or a family get-together and for that reason they say this means the ‘world’ to them all.

The Storr and Shaw families on holiday together (Image: LEANNE STORR) Leanne added: “Initially we thought our families would think we were mad, but everyone agreed that it was a great idea and that it would be a lovely family business that we could all be a part of.”

The plan is to keep it dog-friendly and do a small refurb to update the interior and make some much-needed changes.

They are also thinking of extending the opening hours and eventually creating an open commercial kitchen.

The venue currently does do food but the families want to extend this even further by offering lunch and coffee alongside everything else.

Leanne added: “We have lots to do and we know it will be hard work, but we are all so very ready for it.

“We are so excited to take over in May and manage a great pub that we love and continue its success.”

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Leanne and Jill both plan to stay in their current full-time jobs whilst running the pub.

However, they will have help from seven other family members – including their partners, Matthew and Andrew.

The plan for the future is, as a team of nine, they will keep it family-run run, but with expansions already in mind they could take people on in the future.