About Us
Best friends Sam & Ben have spent the last few years building a reputation for creating warm, welcoming pubs centred around excellent food & drink, and genuine hospitality. After successfully restoring and growing The Bull and The Pear Tree Inn (both in Troston, Suffolk), the pair have turned their attention to their most exciting venture yet – The Old Ram Freehouse in Norfolk, opening in June 2026.
Having worked together in the hospitality industry for over a decade, Sam & Ben are passionate about bringing characterful pubs back to life whilst keeping their identity firmly rooted in the local community. The Old Ram immediately caught their eye, offering the perfect opportunity to create a proper freehouse with great food, relaxed service, carefully chosen wines, and a space that feels equally suited to locals and destination seekers alike.
Since acquiring the property, the team have undertaken an extensive renovation of the historic building, carefully restoring its original charm whilst introducing a more contemporary and welcoming feel throughout. Every detail has been considered to create a pub that feels timeless, comfortable, and full of personality – ready to become a much-loved part of the Norfolk hospitality scene.
Having worked together in the hospitality industry for over a decade, Sam & Ben are passionate about bringing characterful pubs back to life whilst keeping their identity firmly rooted in the local community. The Old Ram immediately caught their eye, offering the perfect opportunity to create a proper freehouse with great food, relaxed service, carefully chosen wines, and a space that feels equally suited to locals and destination seekers alike.
Since acquiring the property, the team have undertaken an extensive renovation of the historic building, carefully restoring its original charm whilst introducing a more contemporary and welcoming feel throughout. Every detail has been considered to create a pub that feels timeless, comfortable, and full of personality – ready to become a much-loved part of the Norfolk hospitality scene.
2026
The Old Ram Freehouse An Exciting New Venture
The Old Ram Freehouse was acquired by Sam & Ben ahead of its highly anticipated opening in June 2026. Since taking on the beautiful Norfolk property, the team have embarked on an extensive and carefully considered renovation, breathing new life into the historic pub whilst preserving the character and charm that made them fall in love with it in the first place.
2023
The Pear Tree Inn
The Pear Tree Inn
Countryside Stays
Looking to stay in Suffolk? The Pear Tree Inn, a beautifully renovated, ultra-luxe seven-bedroom guesthouse hidden away in the Suffolk countryside. Located just outside of Bury St Edmunds, a vibrant and historic market town, our exquisite property offers an intimate and comfortable retreat.
2022
We Bought a (Guest) House
This beautiful property was purchased by Ben and Sam in December of 2022. The team have spent the last eight months investing into a truly stunning renovation, sympathetically
transforming the characterful 1760’s property into a gorgeous contemporary guesthouse.
2021
We Refurbished Our First Pub The Bull Freehouse
Making the best out of terrible situation… lockdown. We spent most of our time and efforts on refurbishing the pub and decided to launch with an amazing selection of woodfired pizzas, available for local contactless pickup. This proved very popular with our new customers and gave us a little hope during a dark time!
October 2020
We Bought a Pub
The Bull is no ordinary pub – we take huge pride in what we do, and strive to constantly be the very best. When the opportunity to take on the shuttered village pub came up in 2020, Ben and Sam decided that the time was nigh to set out on a mission to do things the right way.
keeping it local
Suppliers & Produce
We focus our experience entirely around our guests, and have spent time developing relationships with local small businesses to ensure we can provide our guests with the very best produce – from fish caught on the East Anglian coast that morning, or our milk from a local dairy.