A popular Pembrokeshire pub and campsite has been bought by two ex-paramedics with the help of a £300,000 loan

Healthcare professionals Andrea and Gethin Bateman are on a mission to breath a new lease of life into the to both the Rising Sun Restaurant and Grill and the Pelcomb Bridge Holiday Park at Pelcomb Bridge, Haverfordwest.

The Batemans have completed the purchase of the three-acre site which includes numerous caravan and tent pitches, winter storage facilities, three chalets and a static caravan.

A £300,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales has helped purchase the business and fund improvements.

Refurbishment work on the restaurant has already begun and the Batemans have recruited renowned head chef Matthew Cox from St Davids to developing new and exciting menus and guide the modernisation of the kitchen.

Improvements to the holiday park include the purchase of a new state of the art sewage system, installation of solar panels and planting of native tree species.

Patrons of both the holiday park and restaurant will have access to a brand-new play park for children, whilst holiday park guests can look forward to upgraded toilet and shower facilities.

Four jobs, including the new head chef, have already been created and seven members of staff have stayed on. Additional seasonal jobs will also be created from April onwards.

Andrea is now a clinical advisor for the NHS Wales 111 Service and Gethin is a serious incident investigation manager for Digital Health and Care Wales.

However, a love of camping and caravanning coupled with the £300,000 loan, has taken them in a new direction.

“We’re both very people focussed..we wanted to use these skills to try a new venture that gave us the opportunity to invest in our future; something that combined our love of the outdoors, camping, caravanning and food,” said the couple. “The Rising Sun ticked all the boxes.

“The funding from the Development Bank means that we’ve been able to buy the business and crack on with our plans to upgrade the campsite facilities and give the Rising Sun a revamp.

“We’re new to running a business but we’re delighted that we’re getting such good feedback and already have a five-star Trip Advisor rating.”