A TRADITIONAL country pub in Dorset is under new ownership.

Surrey-based marquee business owners, Paul Rowbottom 43, and Matt Lockhart, 43, have invested in True Lovers Knot in Tarrant Keyneston, along with a former Olive Branch employee, Jess Suddell, 28. 

The trio opened the doors as soon as they received the keys from the former tenants who they said 'fell out of love' with the pub.

Paul said he and the team have big plans for the future but want to connect with the locals first. 

He said: "We're ultimately very keen on getting the village involved with us, it's their pub, not ours and some of them, haven't been here for a long time. So we've already had returning faces that haven't been here for up to two years.

"On opening night, they all came in and it was a really nice vibe. The village is important and they understand that them alone would not make this pub sustainable."

Arriving just before Easter, the team have decided to open doors for the bank holiday weekend and put off renovations. 

Not wanting to lose the soul of the pub the team is keen to change aspects of it, closing doors on April 15 before reopening on April 18. 

Paul said: "We're going to turn this around in two and a half days because the pub is beautiful. It needs a new lick of paint, new lights, new carpets and will we will work through the night. I don't want people thinking the walls are getting knocked down and extensions are happening. 

"We're going to reopen with a few different beers and a completely new menu."

Paul shared his pub experience, knowing how to literally build one from the ground up after creating the Royal Ted at Blandford Forum's festival Teddy Rocks.

Monaco Marquees supplied and built the pop-up pub and hope to use this experience to not only prop up True Lovers Knot but to create marquee events in the garden in the summer for weddings.

With a campsite also on-site, everyone is invited to visit the pub this Easter.