Award-winning Cock pub in Dereham seeking new landlords

Steve Garner and Jane Howard said they are feeling "mixed emotions" as they prepare to step away from The Cock in Dereham.

Mr Garner, a real ale enthusiast, said: "It's sad to give up a pub you put so much into, but life goes on. 

"I'm 65 this year. I think it's time I step aside and let somebody else take up the baton."

Steve Garner and Jane Howard outside The Cock on Norwich Road in Dereham. (Image: Archant)

The couple took over the pub in 2019. Until then, for around a decade, it had been operated as various different eateries including a tapas bar, bistro and Moroccan restaurant. 

"It took a lot of work to bring it back to being a pub," Mr Garner said. "And not to blow my own trumpet, but we did bring it back to life."

The pints started flowing again in January 2020 - only two months before the venue was forced to shut under coronavirus restrictions. 

Despite that challenge, and the subsequent cost-of-living crisis, The Cock became a well-established local for ale lovers, with live music featuring every Sunday.

In 2023, members of CAMRA voted it the best district pub of the year.

The Cock in Dereham became popular with real ale enthusiasts. (Image: Archant)

The premises will remain open while Mr Garner and Ms Howard look for a new owner - and they said their priority is to find someone who shares their passion and commitment for the venue. 

Looking ahead, the couple will take some time off and then focus on their other business, the Glendower self-catering apartments on Commercial Road, only a stone's throw from The Cock. 

Mr Garner said: "I would say that I’d miss the people [at the pub] the most, but if somebody takes it on and keeps it going along the same lines, I’ll be a frequent visitor."

The Cock first opened in 1795 and, in the late-1900s, was run by Maureen and Jack Filby as a popular drinkers' pub for nearly three decades.