The pub trade is very much a family affair for Jason Latchford.

Not only do he and his wife Fiona run the Goat and Boot on Colchester’s East Hill, they also have the Norfolk on the other side of town.

Completing the family line-up are their daughters, Gemma and Aimee, who do their bit helping out in both establishments.

The couple took over the Goat and Boot, a Greene King pub, two years ago when it was in need of a bit of attention.

Jason set about revamping the Grade II Listed pub and turning it into a real ale pub.

Two years on, and a £100,000 refurbishment later which has seen the interior and exterior given a complete overhaul, he says it continues to go from strength to strength.

When they first took over they also introduced wine to the menu in a bid to bring those who preferred that as a tipple back in.

And he estimates since they re-launched they have served as many as 200 different guest ales and craft ciders.

Gazette:

“Real ales are really important to people.

“We keep the pump clips in a display and there are so many in there now because we are changing them all the time.

“They are all locally sourced from Colchester, Maldon, Braintree and surrounding areas.

“So is the food we serve too, we get the meat from a nearby butcher and as much of the rest as we can is bought from local producers.

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“There is a specials board and we have pub favourites such as steak and pies.

“I am really hoping we can build on the success of that in the coming years.”

Jason and Fiona took over the Norfolk, in North Station Road, in 2007 and are currently also undertaking refurbishments there.

“We are keeping it open as much as possible and working around it so we can stay available for our customers with the least amount of disruption.”

He admits it can be a challenge running two pubs.

“It’s very much a family thing, we all help out and it all just gets done.

“Our daughters also work in the pub and we all divide our time between the two places.”

When the challenge of taking up a second pub was offered, he says he could not turn it down.

“It needed turning around and I like a challenge so we decided to give it a go.

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“It is a really lovely old pub, no-one really knows how old exactly. We have some people who have come in and said it is a 15th Century and then others who come in and dispute that. Obviously it is very old as it is Grade II Listed.”

One thing that can’t be disputed is its unusual name.

Jason explains: “Out of all the pubs Greene King has across the country this is the only one called the Goat and Boot. They might have ten or eleven Donkey and Firkins or something like that but no others with the same name as this one.

“I don’t really know where it came from but I am sure someone must have a theory.”

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As well as being familyrun the Goat and Boot also prides itself on welcoming families in, adds Jason.

“There is a lovely big garden here so we have barbecues in the summer and put up a bouncy castle every year for the youngsters.

“We really want to encourage families to come in.”