The Black Horse at Telham, on Hastings Road, was taken over by Deborah Holloway last Thursday.

Mum-of-four Deborah, who had worked as a steward at the Robertsbridge Club for the past 13 years, will be working alongside her son Adam, who will be based in the kitchen.

Deborah, who until recently lived at Three Oaks, said: "We are going to introduce a new menu, but it takes a while to get it up and running.

"It's still a family business and we want to make it a family friendly pub."

Deborah has previously worked at Middle House in Mayfield and as the head chef at The Cherry Tree in Ticehurst, but says of her new role at the Black Horse: "It's the first time I have ever gone in on my own!"

The new landlady says several customers have already been in to ask whether the Black Horse Festival is going to continue.

But fans of the popular four-day event should not worry, as Deborah is reassuring punters it will return in 2009.

Meanwhile, John Wilson, landlord of the Black Horse for the past three years, has moved to The Plough Inn at Crowhurst with partner Annette Downey, who is the village pub's new landlady.

Annette, who worked at the Black Horse for 16 years, said: "We are refurbishing the restaurant at the moment and we will be doing home-cooked food, which there has been a lack of in the village, and it's all going very well."

The Plough Inn will be holding a re-launch night on Friday July 11, which will include live music and a barbecue as a thank you to villagers for their support.