Husband and wife Neil and Ellie Lowthian leapt at the chance of an escape to the country by taking over The Volunteer Inn in Great Somerford.
Mr Lowthian, 40, was formerly manager of The Double Locks pub, on Exeter Ship Canal, for four years.
He found out about the Great Somerford tenancy after a tip-off from former colleague Nicola King at The Thameshead Inn, Cirencester.
He said: “We have a two-year-old daughter, Rebecca, and wanted a life in the country, so when Nicola told us about this lovely village pub, we jumped into the car to visit.
“In Exeter I had 30 staff – here it’s just me and Ellie. We’re both chefs, so we can share the cooking and running the bar.
“This is about going back to basics and we love it.
“The pre-school is good in Great Somerford and we don’t have a 4.5m canal sitting next to us.”
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