'We gave up our careers to run a village pub in Jane Austen's village - and we've never been happier'

A former police officer and a teacher have swapped their careers for life behind the bar in the Hampshire village made famous by Jane Austen.

Mike Roach, 42, and his partner Becky Donoghue, 43, took over The Greyfriar in Chawton on October 5, despite neither having run a pub before.

The couple are already welcoming visitors from around the world who come to the village because of its links to the novelist.

And they've even been joking with tourists that a pint of London Pride beer inspired Pride and Prejudice.

"We've had Americans, Scandinavians and Italians attracted by Jane Austen in here, and they love the food," said Mike.

Becky, a former teacher at Alton College, admitted that running the Fuller's pub had been a steep learning curve.

"It's been a baptism of fire. I don't think I've been this tired but at the same time this happy," she said.

Mike, a former builder and police officer, previously commuted to London for work and is enjoying the change of lifestyle.

"I was very familiar with train cancellations. Now it's very hard to switch off, but I'm loving it not having to worry about the roads at the end of the day."

The couple now live above the pub, although Becky joked that her new commute still had its challenges.

"The commute is awful — it's a whole staircase!"

Despite their lack of experience in the trade, the couple say they have been overwhelmed by the support of staff and villagers.

"We have wonderful staff showing us a few ropes and supporting us," said Mike.

"We definitely couldn't have done it without the staff and customers.

"We're finding our feet, love the area and the locals have been really welcoming. On the first night they all came in to visit us. It was really nice."

Becky recalled one particularly busy Friday evening when the restaurant was full and villagers gathered for drinks.

"You could feel the hum of noise — laughing, clinking of glasses, a lovely atmosphere," she said.

The couple are hoping to build on that support by establishing The Greyfriar as a community hub, with plans for quiz nights, a book club and a gaming club in the refurbished attic.

"We want to make it the hub of the community to socialise," said Mike.

"We're making it a nice community pub with good food and drink for kids and parents to relax in a nice comfortable environment."

Food is currently served from Wednesday to Sunday, with plans to extend the hours once another chef has been recruited.

Mike praised chef Ross, whose recent dishes have included roasted pigeon and scallops.

The couple are also planning improvements to the pub garden and are preparing for their first Christmas behind the bar.

Becky, who once had seven Christmas trees at home, is planning three for the pub.

"It's going to be an explosion of greenery and trees and Santas!" she said.

The Greyfriar welcomes dogs and offers customers unlimited free parking in the village car park through a validation scheme.

Looking ahead, Mike hopes the couple will be running the pub for many years to come.

"The first 12 months will be learning routines. We hope to stay here as long as we can to enjoy the fruits of our labours. We're looking forward to the venture."

Jane Austen lived in Chawton, near Alton, from 1809 until 1817, during which time she revised Pride and Prejudice and wrote or revised several of her most celebrated novels.