Local returns to take over her local (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Malmesbury local returns to take over at the Three Cups

10:00am Saturday 12th January 2013 in News

YEARS ago when Claire Biggs went for a drink with her mates in the Three Cups at Malmesbury she never dreamed that one day she would be the landlord.

Having grown up living just around the corner in Bristol Street she left the town a decade ago.

Now she has returned with plans to revive the popular watering hole which shut in August after former landlord Lee Goodship ran into financial problems.

“It’s going to be a lot of hard work but we’ve got a lot of support and there is a lot of potential here,” she told the Standard this week.

The 30-year-old has taken over the Enterprise Inns pub with the help of brother Chris and mum Erica, who is known to many from her years in the admin department at Malmesbury Primary.

And they have a barrel-full of enthusiasm for its future. Claire is already planning to repaint the front, redecorate inside and increase the amount of dining space once the kitchen is back in full operation.

She is also preparing to host a beer festival and get the skittle alley back in action.

But she stressed: “We don’t want to run before we can walk. We’re not going to do anything drastic. I just want people to feel the place is being looked after.”

“We are really fortunate to have such great locals and they all just want to help. I love Malmesbury. It has a wonderful feeling to it and it’s got great character. The people are very community spirited.”

Former St Joe’s and Filands pupil Claire gave up the pub trade after a successful run with two village pubs in North Yorkshire took its toll on her social life.

“I went into a nine to five job. At first it was very exciting, but that started wearing off.” A stint in sales and then customer service ended when she was made redundant. “Being unemployed was unbearable, not just financially, but mentally.”

She started making plans to move back down south and persuaded Chris to join her. Initially they thought about a taking on a pub in Bath or Bristol.

“But then I saw this place was up and by the end of the night I wanted it.” Just two weeks later she was moving in.