The new landlords of a Shepherd Neame pub say they are looking forward to working with the community to turn it into a local hotspot.

Stepbrothers Rick Bucur and Carlo Podac have launched the recently renamed Duke of Edinburgh in Barming.

The pair have already spent £20,000 revamping and renovating the building in Heath Road.

After getting the keys on Thursday April 28, they only had eight days to get the venue ready for opening weekend the following Friday.

Carlo told KentOnline: “It was a lot of painting, decorating and cleaning.

“Inside was in a pretty bad shape. We had to redo all the walls, floors, tables and chairs.

“The place was rotten, especially to get the kitchen to the point where it is now – completely sanitised and ready to serve food – was hard.

“Two days were dedicated to a deep kitchen clean.

“We also had to sort out water, electricity, waste, licensing etc,” the 23-year-old added.

“The hardest thing was getting staff in time. That was quite a challenge.

“Right now we have a beautiful team and are looking to grow.”

Rick and Carlo have already worked on a number of establishments within the family business.

Their parents – Nikki Podac and Gigi Bucur – used to run The Royal Oak Hotel in Hawkhurst for more than 11 years.

For the last three-and-a-half years they have been managing The Unicorn Pub and Dining in Marden.

“It’s not our first time, we know what we are doing,” Carlo explained.

“We have done it for so long, we just thought we needed to extend.

“There’s lots of potential in this place, and if we can run it the way we want to, it’s going to be a success.

“Plus myself and Rick make the perfect team – I’m the organised one who does the accounting.

“Rick keeps the business going by doing everything I don’t have the time to do: making sure we have everything we need; keeping the food quality standard high; ensuring everyone that walks through the door is leaving with a smile and will be a returning customer.

“We want to reconnect with the local community and get the Duke of Edinburgh known and turned into a nice, local hotspot.”

One of the big changes at the pub is in the name – going from Rockin Robin on the Green back to its former title.

The watering hole was previously governed by couple Robin and Michelle Gordon, who decided to move on after six years.

Following discussions with Maidstone Council and regional brewery Shepherd Neame, Carlo says the sign should be replaced in around five or six months time.

He said: “The Rockin Robin is a beer brand that the last owners had.

“We have nothing to do with that, plus The Duke of Edinburgh was the pub’s original name and the locals wanted to go back to that as well.”

The stepbrothers have also transformed the menu, events planned and overall atmosphere – going from a sports bar/music venue to a pub and grill.

Carlo said: “We have a really nice selection of steaks and are trying to work with local suppliers and butchers, only sourcing fresh food.

“We have tried to keep our prices really accessible for the people and are looking to do a rewards scheme for NHS staff, as we are close to the hospital.

“We will still do live music, but it won’t be every week as it was previously.

“For the summer we are planning to do a festival outside in the garden as well.

“There’s lots to come, but we want to make sure that what we are doing is what the people want.”

A number of pubs sadly shut their doors during the last year, with many struggling to recover after being hit with Covid and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Most recently was Shepherd Neame’s Dragoon pub in Sandling Road, Maidstone, which closed in January.

Carlo added: “Yes, it isn’t easy for anyone, everything has started to get expensive – alcohol and food have gone up in price.

“But when you make sure your customers are happy and you have a standard of serving, people won’t mind paying for something good.

“It is £15 or £17 or £25, but it is worth what you are getting.

“So I think that’s not going to be a problem for us – we keep our standards high and prices low.”

The pub is open from 11am to 10.30pm Monday to Thursday, 11am to 12pm on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as 11am to 9pm on Sunday.