"We had an absolute blast as landlord and landlady"

Locals in a village near Exeter have been left "gutted" after a pub landlord and lady announced their departure. The pair have said that they have just a few weeks left before moving on.

Mel Bowden and Scott Reddin, who run The Royal Oak in Exminster, shared the announcement on the pub's Facebook page last Thursday (November 7). They say they "have had an absolute blast" since taking on the pub in 2022.

The still have a few weeks left as they say they are due to leave in January. It's not yet known who will be taking it over.

Writing on The Royal Oak Facebook page, Mel and Scott said: "The time has come to say goodbye. After just over two years at The Oak, we have decided it's time for our next adventure.

⚠️ Want the latest Devon breaking news and top stories first? Click here to join our WhatsApp group. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice⚠️

"We are sad to say we will be leaving The Oak in January, we have had an absolute blast and are very proud of the amazing welcoming place The Royal Oak is today, we hope whoever takes over from us continues its success and we look forward to watching it grow.

"There's still plenty of time before we leave though and boy have we got some awesome events coming your way. Stand by, diaries at the ready for a jam packed November and December (did you expect anything else?)"

The announcement has been met with shock and sadness from loyal customers, including one person who has said they are "gutted" to hear the news. "Totally gutted," they said. "The Oak is unrecognisable since you became the custodians. I wish you all the best for your future."

A former landlady of the village's other pub is among those reacting to the news. Paula Milton, who left The Stowey Arms in December 2022, said: "Mel and Scott. Wishing you both continued success in where your next chapter of life takes you. Thank you for your support and friendship whilst I was at The Stowey Arms. You will be missed. Hope to be down before you finish."

During their time running The Royal Oak, Mel and Scott have found themselves on the receiving end of persistent noise complaints. In August, Mel told DevonLive that the complaints had been coming from just one woman living nearby, who had even started a petition to have the place "shut down".

At the time, the landlady said that live music had been part of their plan to bring in customers from further afield but that they kept strictly within their licence conditions. After posting on Facebook about the repeated complaints, Mel said they had received "lovely support from the local villagers".