You know what they say about swans – it all looks graceful on the surface, but hidden under the water, there’s a stack of effort being put in.

Saturday afternoon at The Swan in Wittersham felt relaxed so you’d assume plenty of work was being put in behind the scenes. But, landlord Kev is more chilled out than all his customers and the pub dog, put together.

At first we weren’t sure the pub was open. This was a) because it was in darkness and b) looking through the window it looked like a building site.

Presuming they were busy doing the place up I asked the landlady Georgia if they’d just moved in and questioned whether we’d used the right door?

She said they’d been in since June last year and I’d definitely come in the best way as, according to her, “The front door on the road is absolutely lethal”.

Casting an eye along the pumps I settled on a pint of Madri and Mrs SD went for the usual large Sauvignon Blanc.

While the drinks were being poured I made acquaintance with Bear, a two-year-old husky, who takes the role of pub dog seriously and lies around almost as much as Kev!

There were two other blokes in the bar but they were visiting from a neighbouring village and Kev reckons the biggest challenge they face here is getting the good people of Wittersham on side. He’s had pubs for 40 years and says he’s never known anything like it and it doesn’t matter what he and Georgia try to do, not many locals appear prepared to support them and get behind the pub.

The next thing on the pub’s agenda is to reopen the kitchen, which should be ready by the end of March, and apparently some locals have said they will give The Swan another try once it is serving food again.

Anywhere the pub has been decorated and it looks great, from the stripped wooden floorboards, to the smartly upholstered tartan furniture, to the light and airy bar.

Even taking a tour of the areas not fully open shows you considerable work has gone in to make the place look right and as soon as the detritus is cleared away the whole place will be ship-shape and sharp-looking again.

Landlady Georgia is incredibly welcoming, so much so you may well be treated to a full-on life history of her first 25 years, delivered in about 10 minutes straight, but there’s a good balance struck between putting you at your ease and allowing you a few moments to yourself.

Stepping through into the large side bar you can tell the decoration has been completed at some point and the room has been ‘up and running’ previously.

However, it is currently surplus to requirement and has been turned instead into a combination of TV viewing area for Kev to watch the footie and to store a variety of extra furniture and cleaning items.

At half time in the match Kev did give me a tour of the other areas and once the large kitchen has been reopened and the dining area returned to life I really hope the pub will move into a successful phase. But, by his own admission, he’s still got a serious challenge on his hands to bring more locals back on board and get them through the door.

This seems strange given the place only reopened in June 2022 after being closed for a lengthy period and, ironically, following an active ‘Save the Swan’ campaign being launched in the village.

After thanking Kev for his hospitality I left him to the second half and, following a brief visit to the gents (which are complete, fully operational, clean and fresh), I made my way back to the finished bar and tried a pint of the 3.9% Whitstable Bay pale ale.

As we bid farewell another small group came into the bar and it was immediately apparent they had also travelled a reasonable distance to visit the pub.

I only hope Kev and Georgia are able to push on with developing The Swan and making sure the pub is finished and firing on all cylinders – surely then this very important part of the village will receive the support it deserves from its local community.

The Swan Inn, 1 Swan Street, Wittersham, Tenterden TN30 7PH

Decor: The finished bar is well presented and it's clear that corners have not been cut when it comes to decoration and furnishings. But, as it stands there are too many unfinished areas which need some serious tidying up. ***

Drink: There wasn’t a fantastic range of drinks available on tap and it would be good to see the introduction of a couple of decent ales. The wine was okay and Mrs SD did appreciate the extra bit at the bottom of the bottle, but she didn’t want a second. **

Price: A pint of Madri seems to be priced at £5 wherever you go these days and The Swan was no exception. The large wine for £5.50 was more reasonable and the Whitstable Bay was £4.50. ***

Staff: Warm and welcoming, both Georgia and Kev could not be more honest and open about the challenges they continue to face at The Swan. Georgia was busy behind the bar and Kev clearly takes Saturdays off. ***

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