A 17th century village inn is to be brought back to life after closing five months ago.
The King’s Head in Church Street, Wye, shut in winter when Shepherd Neame let it go after more than 20 years.
The pub was put up for sale for £525,000 in February, having been part of the brewery’s tenanted estate since 2000.
It came as manager Nicholas Maclennan left his position to take over the running of No. 4 Wine Bar and Tapas just 100 metres away in Upper Bridge Street.
Will and Nadine Sheldon are managing directors of Contemporary Pubs
Mr Sheldon says: “We love pubs and recognise the positive role they play in communities across Kent.
“The purchase of The King’s Head demonstrates our commercial confidence in the future of village pubs and our team.
“We sensitively breathe life back into pubs, and once again make them great places to spend time eating and drinking with friends and family.
“Critically important is having a team who are highly trained and motivated to deliver the best quality local food and drink offering.”
Since 2020, The King’s Head has changed hands four times, when long-term and popular landlords Mark Lightford and Scott Richardson left.
