A FAMILY decided to buy up their local and bring it back to its glory days.

Gary and Tracey Simmons, and their grown-up children George and Kate, have spent the past eight weeks refurbishing the Bread and Cheese pub in London Road, Thundersley.

They plan to transform the business into a welcoming, family friendly bar and fine dining restaurant.

The pub, on Bread and Cheese Hill, was part of a chain, and the family said they wanted to bring it back to the community.

George, 23, the chef in the family’s operation, said: “When the Bread and Cheese came up for sale, we just decided to go for it.

We used to go there a lot as a family when it was run independently.

“When it got taken over by a chain we just felt it wasn’t as personal any more and the food wasn’t as good. We want to bring it back to its former glory.

“There’s nowhere else like this in Thundersley, and I think this is what it’s been missing for a long time.

“It’s kind of like a gastropub, but even more than that. We’re offering fine dining.”

George has experience in the catering industry and was most recently a chef at East Coast Social, in Southend, and even worked in the Bread and Cheese for six months in 2014.

Kate, 25, has experience in the pub industry and was previously manager of the Chichester Hotel, Wickford.

Their parents Gary, 52, and Tracey, 50, of Thundersley Park Road, run a construction firm.

Nearly 300 people turned out for the official reopening of the pub on Friday evening, where they were able to sample the food and listen to live jazz music.

George admitted he had mixed emotions as the family embarked on their new adventure, but was confident the business would be a hit.

He added: “I’m nervous, but I think once we get into a routine and once things start to pick up, it will be great.”