IT IS the Saints pub “at the heart of the Romsey community”.

The Hunters Inn in Winchester Hill closed in 2013 but residents Gina McDonald and her partner Gary Whitfield, decided to take it over and have been managing it since.

Gina said the pub is one of the few left with separate dining and bar areas.

“We refurbished it and it took us two years to really build a decent food range here but these days you can’t have a table unless you have booked one. We do traditional food pub,” she said.

The pub also offers vegan and vegetarian options but the menu can be tweaked based on people’s requests and allergies.

Gina said most of the produce comes from the nearby allotments and local businesses.

“We have different specials every day based on what we have. We want to use as much local produce as possible,” she said.

The menu also offers a large selection of drinks including real ales, lagers and wines.

Several sports events as well as all Saints football matches are shown in the bar area.

“If somebody comes in and asks us to show them what is on the news, we show them.

“This is a big Saints pub, it’s the local team for us and it’s important we support it and we give residents the opportunity to watch the football match together if they can’t go to the stadium,” Gina said.

The garden and play area at the back of the pub are among the main attraction and play host to fundraising events run in the summer in support of local charities and families.

Gina said one of the secrets of the pub’s success was the low staff turnover.

“We know most of the people here, we know our customers. People can come here on their own and feel comfortable,”she added.