IT IS the warming town pub which is putting family first.

This is the prime aim of the new management at The Good Companions in Eastleigh.

Dan Morgan and Claire Nixon took over the dog-friendly pub five months ago and have already made some drastic changes – the main one being the food.

A chef by trade, Dan has created a handful of menus to cater for all including a bar menu, children’s menu, an individual vegetarian menu, a Sunday menu and, more recently, a Christmas menu, with Sunday dinners proving to be a favourite.

Dan said: “Historically, there has not been a lot of food here.

“We now try to source locally brewed ales; we are buying a lot from Ringwood Brewery.

“We have tried to get the community to come to us. There is a really good community feel.”

Having moved from Buckinghamshire, the couple began running the business five months ago with little knowledge of the surrounding area.

Dan added: “We didn’t really do a lot of research, we just liked the look of it here.

“The function room was a big factor. It was more the look of the place and the location that attracted us.”

The pair want to welcome more families to the venue and, on December 16, they will be hosting a Kids Christmas Party.

The pub even had its own stand at the Eastleigh Christmas Lights switch-on on Saturday, selling mince pies and mulled wine.

The duo are now working with a local charity to provide lunches to those who are alone at Christmas.

Claire said: “It has been hard work, but it pays off. We are seeing lots of faces we don’t know, which is good because it means the word is getting out.

“We wouldn’t be able to do it without our staff, they are fantastic.”