A COUPLE who took over a community pub in Bledlow Ridge said they have been overwhelmed with the response from villagers.

Andy and Emma Goddard, who had never run a pub before, took over The Boot in May.

Villagers formed a company to buy the pub for the community in 2010 and became shareholders.

There has been a few landlords since but Emma, 43, feels confident it will work well under their leadership and said business is booming.

She said: "It has changed quite a bit since the last people were in there.

"We have moved the bar. There is a lot more of a contemporary feel about it.

"The food is a lot different to what it was before.

"Before it was very traditional pub grub. We are trying to lift that- not to gastro level- but somewhere in between.

"We have got a lot of support in the village."

There are also live music events in the pub and due to the popularity of the food, they have extended the drinking area into an outside marquee.

Emma was brought up in the village but moved away in 1992.

She moved back to the village in 2003.

Andy, 43, runs a business in Princes Risborough providing health and safety for construction companies.

They were married 18 months ago and have six children between them who range from ages eight to 17.

The couple recruited two full time chefs.

There are various dishes on the menu, which includes starters of seared scallops, polenta coated goats cheese and chicken liver parfait, while the mains range from The Boot Burger, to fish and chips and steak and kidney pie.

For full details go to http://theboot-bledlowridge.co.uk/