IT’S fair to say that pub landlord Stuart Hiscock has a lot on his plate.

Having recently taken over the King Charles Inn in Kings Worthy, he has been working hard to make the pub a prime location for food.

Mr Hiscock, 39, took over the licence last May, along with his partner Anna Howells, determined to make it an enjoyable place for the locals.

He said: “We decided that it would be a really good pub and we could try and bring some life back to the place. So far it’s going really well.

“I have always known this pub and I know it used to be busy years and years ago but hadn’t been in about six years.”

He added: “We identified straight away that this would be a food destination. It’s all about the food here really.”

With that in mind, the King Charles offers a variety of locally sourced food, from Alresford beef burgers to its very own home-made pies.

The focus on food has given the pub a dream start, particularly after it was nominated as best newcomer by its brewer’s, Fullers, at the annual March award night.

Mr Hiscock has invested thousands of pounds into the pub to turn it into a popular venue for food, drink and events.

He said: “It was really dark and dingy when we came here but we made some big changes and gave it a facelift out the front and refurbished the place.

The pub now takes in a vibrant weekend lunchtime trade and hosts regular live music evenings and has a pub quiz every Sunday at 7.30.

It is also home to a darts team and is keen to form football and cricket teams for this summer and beyond.

Miss Howells said: “The core of what we are doing is listening to our customers and providing them with what they want.

The pub is open from 5pm Monday to Thursday and from noon Friday to Sunday. Anyone interested in forming a football team or in search of a good meal can contact the pub on the number below.

King Charles Inn, Kings Worthy, Lovedon Lane, Winchester, tel 01962 880474