AN ICONIC Cotswold pub that closed down last summer after the previous tenant claimed customers were unable to find it has reopened its doors to the public.

The Five Mile House in Duntisbourne Abbots is open for business once more after classically trained chef Steve Rawicki and his family put their name above the door last month.

Steve told the Standard that after many years of running a restaurant in North Wales, he and his family were ready for a change.

“We looked around for something new and when we came across the Five Mile House, we absolutely fell in love with it,” he said.

“There is something about this pub. It’s just the look of it, both inside and out.”

Time was called on the Five Mile House last July when previous landlord Martin Thomas failed in his attempt to secure a brown tourist sign for the historic pub.

Speaking at the time, he said that it was unlikely the pub could survive without a sign directing customers where to go.

However, new landlord Steve, 52, believes that the pub’s growing reputation will be enough to get people through the door.

“We want people to hear about us through word of mouth. The food we serve here can speak for itself,” he said.

“We will make this work. Me and my family are going to be here for the long run. This will be the last big thing we do before retirement.”

Since opening in February, the Rawickis have seen a steady flow of people cross the threshold curious to see what changes have been made.

Steve said: “The people in the Cotswolds are really nice. The response from the locals has been really great so far. We’ve also just been awarded five stars in our hygiene rating.”

For further details on the Cotswold pub, call Steve on 01285 821432 or visit www.fivemilehouse.co.uk.