A Stradishall family are fulfilling their "lifelong dream" of opening a brewery in the countryside.

Alexis Rudd and Roy Elder are the new owners of The Stansfield Compasses in Stansfield, north-west of Sudbury, and are planning to reopen the pub as a brewery in a few months' time.

They said: "We are really excited to enter into this new phase in our lives exploring the possibilities that come with bringing the Compasses back to life.

"We will be setting up a small brewery which we understand has previously played a part in its past. The brewery will be our primary focus for the pub, though we do have other ideas as we get the brewery business going."

East Anglian Daily Times: Alexis Rudd and Roy Elder are the new owners of The Stansfield Compasses in Sudbury and are planning to reopen the pub as a brewery in a few months time.Alexis Rudd and Roy Elder are the new owners of The Stansfield Compasses in Sudbury and are planning to reopen the pub as a brewery in a few months time. (Image: Archant)

Alexis and Roy moved to nearby Stradishall in June 2021 and live just a nine-minute drive away from the pub with their two-year-old daughter Eleanore and beloved dog Scallywag.

They would love for the pub to be family-oriented, hoping to restore the Compasses to its rightful place as a centre for Stansfield and nearby villages.

Roy, originally from Detroit, Michigan, has been brewing his own American-style ales for 30 years and his signature drink is a pale ale is called 'Sowin' Oats'.

East Anglian Daily Times: Roy has been brewing his own American-style ales for 30 years and his signature drink is a pale ale is called 'Sowin' Oats'.Roy has been brewing his own American-style ales for 30 years and his signature drink is a pale ale is called 'Sowin' Oats'. (Image: Archant)

Alexis is an artist originating from Essex who specialises in making puppets and plush toys, having worked with the Jim Henson Worksop, Hasbro Toys and Disney in the past.

Their relocation plan has always been to establish a small craft brewery and venue for art and music. Here, they hoped that Roy could craft and market his own beer while Alexis continued to pursue her crafts and expand into teaching workshops.

Roy said: "It means a lot to be the new owners of the Stansfield Compasses. It's been my lifelong dream to have my own brewery, as I've been in and out of the brewing industry over the years but I've always wanted to do my own thing. This is an exciting adventure for our family and it's a great location too."

Alexis added: "It really is a lovely country pub. I love old buildings and I love the countryside, so the Stansfield Compasses was perfect for us."