“WE had never pulled a pint before.”

Those were the words of one of Hampshire’s newest landlords who has taken over a 400 year old pub in the heart of a village near Alresford.

Despite admitting he has never worked in a pub before, Pete Boxall, 52, and his wife Amanda, 47, snapped up the Fox Inn in Bramdean, in April. It reopened last month.

“I was in the motor trade since I left school with my own garage,” said Mr Boxall.

“I retired for three months, got totally bored of it, and we had been looking for a pub for two years and this one popped up. We have renovated it and brought it to the 21st century.”

The duo, who have three children, have lived in Catherington, near Hambledon, for 20 years, and said they have had strong support from villagers in Bramdean.

“It’s fantastic here, we have had great support and they want to support the place because they want an old fashioned pub back in the village again.”

The pub was previously run by Jane and Ian Inder, who retired after 27 years in 2012.

But though the new owners may have less experience, they aren’t letting it put them off.

Mr Boxall said: “It was a good first week. We have got great support from locals, and hopefully that will continue.

“We had never pulled a pint until the opening. It’s a bit extreme I must admit, but I do like real ales anyway. We were going to go for a course but we just got thrown in at the deep end and we opened two days after we finished work on the place.”