The new tenants at a Kenilworth pub have thanked the local community for making them feel so welcome, just weeks after taking over.

Denis Nyundo and his wife Natasha reopened The Gauntlet on Tuesday 30 July, days after getting the keys to the Oaks Precinct Inn.

The couple, who also run a successful mobile kitchen, have run pubs previously and have already hit the ground running at The Gauntlet.

Denis Nyundo and his wife Natasha reopened The Gauntlet on Tuesday 30 July (image supplied)

Explaining the decision to take over at the Stonegate-owned venue, Denis told Nub News: "We saw the area and what a nice area it is. 

"And the pub itself was a major factor of why we came here because of the space it has. 

"We come from a catering background and we did a lot of events in the past. 

"And with the space The Gauntlet has, we thought we could do other events and provide entertainment for people, as well as bringing our food to town."

The Gauntlet was closed briefly after the previous tenants left (image supplied)

While the pub has already been welcoming customers again for a couple of weeks, the couple are running a community fun day on Saturday 24 August to officially mark the reopening.

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On the day there will be a hog roast, burgers and hot dogs from the mobile kitchen, as well as live music, a bouncy castle and even a car wash in the car park.

The fun day marks the return of events to The Gauntlet which Denis hopes will become a regular feature.

"We want to have lots of live shows and entertainment, of any sort," he explained. 

"It could be comedians or dancers or musicians. 

"We are looking for any talent within the local area, people who want to showcase their skills. We want them to get in touch."

Food is coming back to The Gauntlet (image supplied)

And for Denis, who has been a chef for much of his professional life, bringing food back to The Gauntlet is also key.

"There wasn't really any food before so we are planning to open food for all the time we are open," he added. 

"For all the time we are open we will be serving food, there will be no cut off time for when you can get food. 

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"We are serving freshly made food, including Sunday roasts as well as food similar to a South African Braai. 

"We won't have a large menu, but we will change it regularly to have new dishes coming in. 

"And we will also be on Just Eat."

A community fun day is being held this weekend (image supplied)

And after just a fortnight since opening, the couple were quick to thank the many customers who have welcomed them, and have encouraged locals to come down.

"It has been really wonderful, we have been really welcomed by the local community," they said. 

"We are looking forward to meeting more people and seeing them come down. 

"We are happy to do what people want; if they have a party or a christening, we would love people to use the pub and feel at home at their pub. 

"If they have any ideas they can bring them forward. 

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"We want it to be their pub, even though yes we are managing it."

Find out more on the Facebook page here or contact The Gauntlet on 07857 177231 (WhatsApp message only - no calls or text messages).