Starting Up with Jean and Mark Fidler @ The Woodman

We, Jean and Mark Fidler, are the new owners of The Woodman in North Leigh.

We re-launched the pub after a full refurbishment in July this year.

We are British, but have spent the past 20 years working Stateside. Jean ran an English pub for a while and we both worked together in an American restaurant, where we learned about the best of American bar food and great service.

After spending 20 years in the States we felt it was time to come home as Jean’s parents didn’t want to fly any more and we felt it would be better if we were a little closer to home so we could spend more time with them.

However, we wondered if we would find the same work/life balance as we had over there because working in the hospitality industry in the US in both pubs and restaurants meant we enjoyed being around people.

Punch Taverns gave us the opportunity to relive that over here. We liked the idea of a small village pub over the town/city so went to look at The Woodman in North Leigh.

It wasn’t doing food when we looked at it and we instantly decided we could offer a different style of pub food to bring in the kind of trade the pub needed to stay afloat. The Woodman was also in need of some tender love and care, as it was a little dated (think Rovers Return).

Thanks to a £75,000 investment in the pub by the freehold owners Punch Taverns, it made sense that while upgrading the kitchen, we fitted it out with a smoker and chargrill, to complete our vision for the pub, allowing us to put our kind of food on the menu.

It means we can now serve US bar favourites including burgers, chicken wings and sweet potato fries, from noon till 10.30pm every day, as well as offering a three-items-for-£6 snacks menu.

The new-look pub has been fully redecorated inside and out, by opening out the bar, and introducing new and refurbished furnishings to give the space a brighter feel. Outside, the beer garden has also been transformed.

We want to make this a great village pub – but with a difference.

We want locals of all ages, diners from further afield and passing walkers and tourists to enjoy coming to The Woody for our great food, live music, quiz nights, darts and Aunt Sally.

We are also planning beer festivals and other events in future.

TRY IT
The Woodman Inn, New Yatt Road, North Leigh, Witney 
01993 881790