Stark’s Ben Crittenden and Affinity Brew’s Ben Duckworth reveal plans for renowned pub, writes Marijke Hall

Stark’s Ben Crittenden and Affinity Brew’s Ben Duckworth are the new dream team taking on the Compasses Inn in Crundale - and they’ve got some plans up their sleeves.

It was a bittersweet moment when Rob and Donna Taylor announced they were leaving The Compasses Inn to sprinkle some of their culinary magic elsewhere.

Great for those wanting to take a bite at their new restaurant Tallow in Tunbridge Wells, but admittedly not such good news for the pub in Crundale, for which the couple has reaped countless plaudits, including a Bib Gourmand from Michelin no less.

But you can all breathe a sigh of relief, for the celebrated gastropub has been taken over by a new pair of hands.

And it’s a safe pair, we can assure you. More than safe in fact, with Michelin-starred chef Ben Crittenden, from the critically acclaimed Stark in Broadstairs, at the helm.

He’s teamed up with Ben Duckworth, co-founder of South London’s Affinity Brew Co and who will be running the drinks side of things.

Crittenden was a regular visitor to the Compasses and good friends with the husband and wife team.

When he found out it was up for grabs, he approached Duckworth to see if he’d be up for taking it on.

And he was, with the pub now set to reopen on December 10.

“It won’t be all guns blazing,” Duckworth explains. “We’ll just be opening for a few weeks around Christmas with more of a bar snacks menu.

“Then we’re going full steam ahead from January 31, when we’ll have a week of special preview events. Tickets are about to go on sale.”

So what plans do they have for the Shepherd Neame pub, which was previously number 8 in the UK’s Top 50 Gastropubs?

“We basically want to turn it into a fantastic space for the local community to hang out in - a pub rather than a restaurant - because the immediate area lacks that kind of place.

“Saying that, we want to offer the very best of pub food.

“Classics at the heart - Sunday roasts for example will be very important - but done to the very highest standards.”

Alongside the food, the drinks will also be taking centre stage, including an “unrivalled” alcohol-free selection.

They hope to open an on-site brewing facility, too, which Duckworth believes would make them the world’s first alcohol-free brewpub.

“A really important and unique part of our offering will be the unrivalled alcohol free selection,” he explains.

“The progress made in this sector in recent years has been amazing, and it lends itself perfectly to the Compasses' remote location.

“There will of course be a great selection of alcoholic drinks too - it wouldn't be a pub without them - from the very best small independent producers in the UK.”

Duckworth, who left his role at Affinity Brew Co to take on the Compasses project, says they won’t be touching the interior of the pub.

“It would be a crime to change anything about it, but we have huge plans for the garden area, which we'll reveal in due course,” he adds.

For tickets to the special preview events, running from January 31 to February 4, visit www.tickettailor.com/events/compasses.