Operators of award-winning pub to move on for a 'new challenge'

Ben and Sarah Handley, operators of the Duck Inn Stanhoe in Norfolk, have announced plans to leave the pub after 10 years for "a brand new challenge".

The pair posted on Facebook that they had given the pub's landlord Elgoods Brewery six months' notice of their departure so that someone else could take on the lease.

"The time has come for us to pass on the baton of this incredibly special little pub. After 10 amazing years, we have decided that it is time for a brand new challenge in our lives," they said.

"The past few years have been particularly challenging for all of us, but we have been overwhelmed by the incredible support from all of our customers and suppliers, as well as the unwavering commitment from our phenomenal team. Over the coming months we will be celebrating the food, service and atmosphere that makes the Duck such a wonderful place."

The Duck Inn was awarded the Good Food Guide's Restaurant of the Year for the East of England in 2017 and has also been a finalist in GQ Magazine's UK Pub of the Year and the Observer Food Monthly Awards seven years running for Best Sunday Lunch.

Image: duckinnstanhoe / Facebook