MEET the new landlady of The General Burgoyne in Great Urswick.

Jo Ritchie said she had wanted to run a pub for years but it had never been the right time until now.

She said: “I’m so excited I have taken the plunge and been given this opportunity. I know that with the support of my family, friends and this amazing community the Burgoyne will thrive."

Jo was born and raised in Great Urswick and has strong family ties to the area as two generations of her family were also brought up in the village.

She said: “The village has an amazing community and I would like the Burgoyne to be the centre of it.”

The new landlady revealed that her first ever job was waitressing at the Burgoyne when she was 15 years old.

Jo said she remembered how the pub used to be famous for its pie and peas, which is something she wants to restore.

She said: “There was a landlord who used to shout out from behind the bar, ‘the pie and peas are lovely tonight’, and people came from far and wide to enjoy them.”

The plan is to bring back this traditional pub classic and have a very simple menu with delicious pies.

Jo is also hoping to host themed food evenings once a month where guest chefs will visit the pub and offer guests ‘something a little different’. 

During the afternoon, Jo will be serving homemade cakes with coffee and tea.

Jo hopes to reopen the Burgoyne in the next few weeks but said she cannot confirm the date just yet as services are still being reconnected and the pub is getting redecorated.

On Saturday, the pub took to its social media page to give a quick update, the message said: “Making progress with getting the pub ready to open, however lack of electricity is slowing things down.

“I am working very hard to get this sorted but still cannot give you an exact date for opening.

“Please bear with us and watch this space for further updates.”

Once redecoration and some renovations are complete, Jo said the pub would have a new and refreshed feel.

She hopes it will appeal to a wide range of people and act as the base for a community hub, somewhere ‘everyone will feel welcomed and at home’.

Jo said: “I feel honoured to have the opportunity to be able to restore the last remaining pub in the village and prove that pubs are an essential part of the community.

“It will be much more than a pub."