Norwich: Steam Packet pub owners loving life behind the bar

Ellie Grove and Jacob Emerson reopened the Cattle Market Street pub on New Year's Eve and say they have already amassed a steady flow of regulars.

The pair, both 25, say they have not felt the hit other independent businesses have as they have "never known any different" with the city centre venue being their first pub venture.

They have spent years working in the hospitality industry and decided to pay £300,000 to snap up the Grade II-listed building as a place of their own.

When refurbishing the pub itself prior to opening Mr Emerson, a chef who grew up in King's Lynn, even proposed to Miss Grove in the bar.

Ms Grove said: "It's going as well as we'd hoped.

"It's onwards and upwards for us, things are better than we expected.

"It's obviously tough for a lot of pubs with high prices but I think because it's all we've known it's easier for us.

"We've got no staff costs either because it's just me and Jacob, and also no lease to worry about.

"When we need to start employing people, that's when things will get a bit more difficult, but so far we haven't even paid ourselves, which we need to do at some point."

She said the couple had enjoyed chatting with the regulars during their first month.

Ms Grove added: "It's all been very good fun, we've got lots of locals who come in and every few days sit at the bar with us."

The pair will now focus their attention on renovating the building's first-floor restaurant with hopes to open it in the summer.

They plan to serve typical, homemade dishes for up to 20 people at a time.

The Steam Packet building - alongside the ITV Anglia studios in Crown Road - was built in the 1820s as a home and turned into a pub in 1836.

It was previously known as the Market Tavern.