Why We Love Our Pub: An interview with Alun Cooper from The Elm Tree Inn at Langton Herring

In May 2025, Friends of the Elm Tree Ltd, a local community group and registered Community Business Society, purchased The Elm Tree Inn with plans to reopen the pub. One year on, it’s now a thriving part of the Langton Herring community, so we caught up with Alun about the journey to date and their plans for the future.

Q. Let’s start at the beginning - how did you first discover The Elm Tree Inn, and what inspired you to get involved in bringing it back to life?

When we discovered that The Elm Tree Inn was closing in November 2023, we were shocked, and after several months of closure, the truth hit hard that we could lose the pub. The village met, and there was a desire to see “what we could do to keep the pub”. We discussed the options, as we couldn’t bear the thought of not having a pub in this rural coastal village.

We joined Plunkett UK, then applied to become a Community Business Society. This allowed us to open a bank account (which wasn’t quite as easy as we had thought), and we launched a share offer in December 2024. The residents of Langton Herring were magnificent and purchased more shares than we could have imagined. However, our financial goal was high, and we had to consider additional means of securing funds if we were to be able to purchase the inn.

We launched a crowdfunding campaign and were amazed at the response from so many people around the UK, as well as from other countries. We injected more activity when a TikTok campaign was also launched, fuelled by the energy and creative genius of one of our residents. Our funds increased, but we knew that we would still fall short, and so we took out some loans that enabled us to complete the purchase in May 2025.

Q. So - what happened next? What were those early days like after you got the keys?

After the joy of purchasing The Elm Tree, we began the reality of working to reopen the pub. We had decided that Friends of the Elm Tree Ltd would not run the pub, and we were fortunate to secure the professional services of two tenants.  Fortunately, the pub had been recently refurbished to a high standard, and so we had to organise the deep cleaning of the pub and the upstairs accommodation, all appliances had to be recertified, new equipment had to be purchased, services had to be reconnected, and the grounds had to be tidied. 

Eventually, we were ready for a soft opening in the first week of August 2025.  There was such joy at seeing the pub working again, and we were even more delighted when the pub was able to fully open for food and drinks.  It was wonderful to see cars in the car park, people eating and drinking in the pub, and to hear the sounds of joyous human interaction in the pub again.

Q. Looking back on your first year after reopening, what are you most proud of achieving?

I think the most significant thing we managed to do was to unite people to participate in a project that was difficult to imagine but, if successful, would provide a wonderful resource for the village. 

Another achievement has been the realisation of the cultural context of a thriving pub.  Having a place where people can meet as friends or enjoy casual conversations with other people visiting the pub, makes us extremely happy that we did not allow the pub to disappear from our village.

Q. How has the local community responded since reopening?

The village community is happy to have its pub open. I also think that there is a sense of pride in the fact that collectively, we have risen to the challenge and have saved our pub from closure.  It is so pleasing to see people enjoying The Elm Tree Inn and to have so many visitors who came to see the pub after seeing it on TikTok or purchasing shares that helped us raise the necessary funds for the purchase.

It is particularly pleasing to see so many villagers in the pub on a Friday evening, all chatting together and enjoying locally sourced beers, ciders and food.

Q. What has been your biggest seller so far - beer, cider, food, or soft drinks?

Food has been the biggest seller, with the lunch and dinner menus providing affordable, well-cooked locally sourced food. It’s great to see that many people who came to the pub for lunch or dinner enjoyed the experience so much that they are now regular visitors to our pub. Let us not forget the many people who have found a new taste experience with the diverse range of beers and ciders on sale - all of which are locally sourced from West Dorset.

Q. What do you enjoy most about running The Elm Tree Inn?

Friends of the Elm Tree Ltd owns The Elm Tree Inn, but we do not run the business.  Our wonderful tenants run the business, and we are delighted to bask in their reflected glory.  We do spend time each month looking after our responsibilities as landlords; planning for repairs, developments and more sustainable projects.

Q. What are your plans for the future, and where would you like to see the pub in the next few years?

We would very much like to see the pub continue to be a favourite destination pub for locals and people who will be happy to journey to the peace of Langton Herring. We also want to develop our Community Business Society responsibilities, and we are currently reviewing what that might mean for the next five years.

Q. Finally, what advice would you give to others thinking about taking on a pub?

Firstly, think very carefully about which side of the bar you would want to be.  If you wish to stand behind the pumps, then that is fine, but let it be known that you will need to have the stamina that allows you to work long hours and to remain cheerful and effective despite being tired. 

However, if, like us, you prefer to sit facing the bar, then spend time finding the right tenants.  If you get the appointment correct, then your time as a landlord will be joyous and rewarding.  Good luck!

For more information about The Elm Tree Inn, visit their website here.