New Haven House Inn owner looks to embrace tradition

The idyllic Haven House Inn boasts waterside views from its 'unique location' at Mudeford Quay.

It was recently taken over by experienced publican Ed Turner.

“I just fell in love with it,” Ed said.

“It’s somewhere where you can come and have a coffee and a bacon sandwich with it at 8.30 in the morning, go for a nice walk on the headland and then come back and have a pint and a bite to eat at lunch.

“It's manna from heaven.”

It is believed there has been a watering hole at the quay since 1780 with Ed planning to embrace tradition. 

The 55-year-old says he won't make any significant changes to the pub and that he wants to get to know the Mudeford community.

“It's got to stay a really traditional pub but the food and the drink range and everything else has got to move with the times a bit,” he said.

“We had a brilliant bank holiday weekend, it’s about to get very busy again with the sunshine. We'd be mad to try and change anything too quickly.”

Ed, originally from Hampshire, has already made small tweaks to the ingredients. He also hopes to source from local.

This is echoed with the drink menu, as he will add local gins and craft beers, and a new wine list.

Ed says the pub is unique in having a café and gift shop, which he hopes to expand to become a community space.

“I'd like to be opening the cafe in the evenings for some special events, centred around fish. Or maybe having fish and fizz nights or getting some locals in to come and do a little talk and things like that,” Ed said.

“That's the way we want to develop it. The cafe is empty every evening, so we want to make it a nice place to sit in that feels warm and cosy.”

However, the pub has a policy of ‘no kids and no wetsuits’, which will be continuing under the new owner.

“It's a very small pub, it's a very busy pub, it's part of the license and it's just the way that it's always worked,” Ed said.

“It doesn't always please everybody, but that's a good challenge for us.”

Ed aims to make the most of the storied history of the pub, throughout his tenure as owner.

“This pub is steeped in history, it steeped in tradition,” he said.

“We want to build and maintain that.”