A brother and sister have taken over the running of a popular Saffron Walden pub.

Dionne McCreery and Sam Redhead celebrated the relaunch of The Railway pub, in Station Road, after a recent refurbishment aimed at bringing “an alternative pub scene to Saffron Walden”.

“I want to create an atmosphere where eating is just as important as the drinking side of having a pub,” said Dionne, 38, who has a wealth of experience in corporate and social entertaining.

“Above all else we want this to be a community pub. All the food ingredients are sourced locally, some from the market, while the pub is decorated by pieces of art from local artists such as Michelle Thompson and Celia Bartlett.”

Asked whether running a pub had been a long-held ambition, Dionne said: “It has. I’ve had my eye on this pub for a while, so it’s very exciting. There is a lot of potential here. We want to retain the pub atmosphere but offer food, too, so that everyone is welcome whether they’re eating a three-course meal or just having a couple of drinks with friends.”

Dionne will be in charge of the pub, having signed a tenancy agreement with brewery Charles Wells, while Sam, 22, is assistant manager.

The style of food will change regularly – a glimpse of the variety in Dionne’s culinary talents was shown at her pop-up restaurants around town. These short-term ventures, which proved popular with the community over the past 18 months, included dishes ranging from shellfish platters to Asian fused with fine dining.

“We’ll have some usual standards on the menu, but don’t be surprised to see a few of our favourites from the ‘Red Orchid’ or ‘FISH! At the Museum’ experiences we’ve done in the past,” said Dionne.

“We are really keen to encourage community groups to come down at any time of the day, starting with a cup of coffee from 8am.

“Not only that but we plan to be open for the Tour de France visit and are currently working on putting together a brunch for people to enjoy on the day.”

Visit fb.com/TheRailwayPubSaffronWalden or follow @TheRailwayPubSW for more information.