Darbys Pub

Darbys Pub, Swanton Morley

It’s fantastic news that Darbys Pub and Restaurant in Swanton Morley has just been re-opened by new owners Steve Garner and Jane Howard, who also run The Cock in Dereham.

Originally two 18th century cottages, Darbys first opened as a pub in 1988. The pub has built up a loyal following of customers from the village and surrounding areas.

Jane and Steve will be running Darbys hands-on, along with Steve’s son Elliott Garner and a new team. They’ve already seen the affection people have for Darbys and they were keen to find out what locals wanted from their village pub. They ran an online survey which was completed by over 200 people within a week and provided some really valuable feedback.

Key points people mentioned were friendly staff, fresh and locally-sourced traditional pub food, cleanliness, good beer and a dog and family friendly venue. Comments also included better WiFi, which is now extended throughout the building and garden, and to replace the church pew seating in the bar which was uncomfortable.

Jane and Steve are keen to run regular live music events, pub quizzes and hopefully a beer festival during the summer.

The pub has been extensively updated, and they’ll have 4 real ales on tap, rotating constantly. Food wise, there’s a full menu and bar menu with an emphasis on quality food, prepared fresh on site, using locally sourced ingredients where possible. A children’s menu will also be available. There’s a large beer garden with a patio and BBQ area that will be used on weekends during the summer. Plus there’s a large play area with zip wire and plenty of parking.

They said: “It’s truly incredible how much support Darbys has in Swanton Morley and surrounding villages, and with our 10 year lease we can really put some stability back into this p pub, which the locals have been craving.

Our work at The Cock in Dereham has delivered a traditional pub, ‘like proper pubs used to be’ is a comment we’ve heard literally hundreds of times. Darbys will follow that traditional approach providing a great place to meet, eat and drink. Plus generous outside seating to relax in the lovely Norfolk countryside – there aren’t many places where you can get all that!”

To find out more, visit facebook.com/DarbysSwantonMorley or darbyspub.co.uk