Husband and wife team Jon and Millie Coward have added the 17th Century Martlet Inn in Langford Budville to their pub businesses and are re-opening on Monday.

The couple already run the popular Bear Inn in Wiveliscombe, Milverton Cricket Club and the Lamb & Flag at Blagdon Hill.

The Martlet – named after a mythical footless swallow – has been described as a ‘gem’ at the heart of the local community, with wooden beams and an orangery. The Cowards are aiming for the feel of a traditional village pub, which can act as a community hub.

The couple have embraced change during the covid-19 crisis. Millie said: “We realised early on in the pandemic that we would need to adapt our businesses on quite a large scale in order to not only survive but to grow and evolve. We needed to ride out the storm.”

At the start of the lockdown in March they began offering takeaway hot meals from the Bear Inn which quickly became popular and enabled them to bring the head chef and other staff back from furlough, months before the pub re-opened fully.

In the midst of the recent controversy over free school meals, the Bear Inn offered hot lunches to eligible children over half-term and delivered them in the surrounding area.

The couple took a Government bounce-back loan and invested in a mobile food van – The Hungry Bear – to serve communities which did not have a village pub or restaurant, so they could offer high-quality hot food to those areas. The strong response means they now have a regular route around the Somerset countryside.

The Hungry Bear has just secured a regular slot in Wellington High Street three times a week to provide high quality food, using locally sourced ingredients, to locals.

The couple have also spent the lockdown improving their pubs, creating a Covid-safe outdoor bar at the Bear Inn, under a marquee, complete with log burners and sofas, so customers can stay warm outside in the fresh air, as well as developing all-weather seating and extensive takeaway menus at their other venues.

The Bear also has its own brewery, producing local ales, including Goldihops and the popular winter-warming Polar Bear.

The couple are also in talks with local theatre groups and musicians about putting on performances to keep customers entertained. Millie said: “We have the space to put on events, and musicians and actors need spaces, so we hope it works for everyone.”

Jon said: “We’re really happy to say that so far our efforts are paying off and we’ve had incredible support from our lovely loyal customers. At this point in time we’ve managed to not only keep our staff but have recruited more. We’re probably employing about 50 people in all now.

“As independent local businesses we believe that even through tough times like these, we can still thrive if we remain committed to looking after each other and continue to adapt to the new way of life that is emerging from this pandemic.”