A remote pub on the Norfolk Broads which seemed destined to close is celebrating a swift upturn in its fortunes.

The White Horse in Upton, near Acle, was losing thousands of pounds every month and in November it hosted a meeting attended by 150 villagers desperate to save the venue.

Now, just five months on, the pub - which has been run by the community since 2012 - is looking forward to the future with some hope. 

Before Christmas, in a bid to turn around its fortunes, the owners, the White Horse Development Trust CIC, appointed five new directors.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Steve Walsh, the chairman of the White Horse Development Trust CIC.Steve Walsh, the chairman of the White Horse Development Trust CIC. (Image: Sonya Duncan)

READ MORE: Famous Norfolk pub once visited by royalty and gangsters threatened by closure

Among those was new chairman Steve Walsh who said this week that the venue - which was once visited by King Charles - had begun to turn a corner. 

"We went from losing £16,000 in January, February and March in 2023 to making a small profit for the same period this year," Mr Walsh said.

"It's not enough to retire on. But we've gone from making hefty losses to being sustainable in arguably the most challenging period of the year."

Great Yarmouth Mercury: A flashback to the then Prince Charles chatting to pub regulars at the White Horse.A flashback to the then Prince Charles chatting to pub regulars at the White Horse. (Image: Archant)

The turnaround, he said, is a result of staff changes, with the pub hiring a new head chef and using volunteers to supplement paid staff.

"We were losing a lot of money through wages," he said.

"But now we have three or four volunteers you can call on once a week, and each person will do a shift behind the bar. That's helped."

READ MORE: Pub visited by King Charles preparing for 'new lease of life' after refurb

Great Yarmouth Mercury: The White Horse pub in Upton has been run by the community since 2012.The White Horse pub in Upton has been run by the community since 2012. (Image: Sonya Duncan)

READ MORE: The day a future king popped in to a Norfolk village's pub

The pub is celebrating the turnaround with a 'St George's Pig and Cider Festival' including live music and hog roasts from April 19 to 21.

There are also "a ton of events" planned for the summer including an 80s weekender, VE Day commemorations, and a beach party with a marquee full of sand.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: QUIET LIFE: Charlie Richardson (far left) in the bar at the White Horse with (from left) Colin Harrison, Dennis Lamb and Led and Mary Goodley.QUIET LIFE: Charlie Richardson (far left) in the bar at the White Horse with (from left) Colin Harrison, Dennis Lamb and Led and Mary Goodley. (Image: Submitted)

The White Horse has been run by the community since 2012 when it was acquired by villagers after having been on the brink of closure.

In the 1960s, it was the hideout for notorious London mobsters the Richardson gang.