A businessman has added another disused pub to his growing empire and vowed to put his "heart and soul" into restoring it.
It can be revealed that Marcus Pearcey, the owner of popular venues including Butcher Bhoy and Salhouse Farm Shop, has bought the Green Man in Rackheath.
The Wroxham Road pub and restaurant closed in 2022 due to rising running costs and instead of letting it sit empty, Mr Pearcey intends to transform it into a community asset.
"The Green Man has really struggled in the past but it has so much potential and we can do it right if we listen to the local community and find out what they want from it," he said.
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The news comes soon after Marcus and his team took over the nearby Sole and Heel pub which is undergoing a significant renovation ahead of a much-anticipated reopening.
According to Marcus, the two pubs had the same owner and buying both was "the right thing to do" to prevent them from being demolished for housing projects.
He said: "It's important for us that the Green Man keeps its independence, there's no formula we follow for our businesses.
"We're proud of what we're doing here and the key to making it work is finding out what Rackheath needs.
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"By using local knowledge, skills and suppliers, we can create something really special.
A consultation process will go ahead in the next few months where focus groups will be invited to voice their thoughts on the pub's renewal, with Rackheath earmarked to get thousands more homes in the years to come.
"I don't want people to think we're just snapping places up when so many others are struggling," Marcus added.
"I live here in the village and will be putting my heart and soul into these projects."
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