He's thought to be Hampshire's longest serving landlord - and he's just been named the best in the business.
The Salmon Leap, which has been owned by Eric Light for the past 30 years, has been crowned Daily Echo Pub of the Year 2024.
The family and dog-friendly pub on Testwood Lane was one of four Totton pubs named as finalists in the hotly fought competition.
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Hundreds of customers gave The Salmon Leap the thumbs up as they triumphed over their friends at The Anchor Inn in Eling, as well as The Peg and Parrot in Rumbridge Street and The Keys in Commercial Road.
The Two Brothers in West End, Cracklerock Tap Room in Botley, The River Inn in Fair Oak, The Wagon Works in Eastleigh, The Cleveland Bay in Chandlers Ford, The Titanic in Southampton and The Hampshire Bowman in Dundridge were also in the running.
Eric said: "It's fantastic news, I'm absolutely elated. It even made me well up a little bit!
I really think we have something a bit special here and I'm really pleased that the community think we're worthy of this award. The staff work so hard every day to make the business a success and it's all down to them really. We had a couple of drinks to celebrate when we heard and I'll organise something else as a thank you.
"Congratulations also to all the other finalists. It's not easy in hospitality at the moment, either with trade or recruiting. We're lucky that as an independent we're not restricted by big company rules and procedures.
"We've worked really hard to establish a good rapport with the community and it seems it's paid off. There's always a new challenge and you've got to grab any opportunities that come your way."
The Salmon Leap, which sits on part of what was previously the Great Testwood estate, close to The River Test.
It boasts children's play equipment, a petanque terrain and indoor and outdoor TVs, which are being well used during Euro 2024.
Wimbledon style strawberries and cream are proving popular on the new summer menu and roast dinners always go down a storm.
Behind the bar there's a good selection of beers sourced from Flack Manor in Romsey and elsewhere. A total of 20 gins are also available.
Special events include a weekly quiz, live music, dominoes, pool and darts.
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