A SOUTH London couple have given up life in the capital and moved to Kendal to fulfil their dream of running a pub.

Jamie Jones and his girlfriend Victoria Goodman, both from Croydon, admitted they 'fell in love' with the Castle Inn as they sought the perfect place to start their new adventure.

Although they took over the running of the pub, owned by the Punch Taverns brewery, several weeks ago, they held a launch night on Saturday to get to know their new regulars.

Both Mr Jones and Ms Goodman had been working in the hospitality industry, and when they got together as a couple, they spoke about setting out to achieve their shared ambition. Together, they researched where the ideal place for their venture would be before they ultimately opted for Kendal.

"We shared the same dream and, with a bit of financial help from our parents, decided to get applying for pubs," said Mr Jones, 32.

"We wanted a small community pub with a kitchen so we could could do food. One of the pubs we looked at was the Castle Inn and we just fell in love with it straightaway.

"It has charm and it has character. It's what customers would come in and call 'a proper pub'. It has been used and loved by the locals for a long time without having changed too much and has had long-term lease holders."

Mr Jones added that he and Ms Goodman, 24, had been overwhelmed by the support of customers and staff members already at the pub when they took it on.

He also said the Castle Inn is serving 'classic pub grub', and that in the long term the couple would look to open up guest rooms, but that could yet be several years down the line as they look to first settle in to their new premises.