FIONA Esmarch has traded her career feeding hungry rock stars from Rod Stewart, Tina Turner and Iron Maiden to be the new landlady of The Roebuck in Marlborough.

The 51-year-old, from Bristol, has worked in catering most of her life for rock and roll stars, travelling around the world with bands on tour and working at events from Glastonbury and Reading Festival.

But she has always wanted to run a pub, so when she saw Fuller’s was looking for someone to takeover the one in London Road, which closed unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago, she jumped at the chance.

“I had actually been to Marlborough before one New Year’s Eve and fell in love with the town then," she said. "It is absolutely beautiful.”

The pub is officially opening tonight (Friday) but she has hosted a new sewing club last night and invited residents to come and meet her and sample some nibbles and mulled wine on Sunday.

“It was absolutely brilliant, really positive and everyone was pleased to see their pub back open with lights on again," Miss Esmarch said.

“We want to embrace everyone around the area and listen to what they want – it is going to be a community pub."

She was born in Essex and grew up in the Midlands and also lived in London for 20 years, before moving to Bristol.

Her boyfriend Will Phillips is going to be running the bar and helping manage the pub, while chef Karen Cairns, who has owned bistros and bars, will be doing the cooking and they are hoping to employ six members of staff.

They are serving traditional pub food but their speciality is their cheese and cooked meat bar. The pub will also be hosting live bands of all genres and quiz nights.

Miss Esmarch added: “I just want the people of Marlborough to come and see us and embrace us. It is new people working here, just come in and say hello and meet us and enjoy our pub.”

For more information go to: roebuckmarlborough.co.uk