There’s a new skipper at The Jolly Sailor.

“As soon as I started working here, it just clicked and I didn’t want to leave,” says the new licensee at an historic Whitburn village pub.

Natasha Snaith has risen through the ranks at The Jolly Sailor and is now the boss | Iconic Media Group

placeholder image — Natasha Snaith has risen through the ranks at The Jolly Sailor and is now the boss | Iconic Media Group

Natasha Snaith is already a well-known face at The Jolly Sailor in the heart of the village after starting to glass collect there two years ago when she was 17.

So impressed was previous landlord Vic Hanson with Natasha’s work that once she turned 18 she was soon made manager.

Now, as popular publican Vic, 83, enjoys a much-deserved rest at the other side of the bar, Natasha has taken over the local landmark.

Vic has handed over the reins to Natasha and will still be a familiar face - just on the other side of the bar | Submitted

The 19-year-old regards Vic as a grandfather and says she’ll be continuing his legacy as she takes on the reins.

“Vic is so well-known here, we have people visiting from California and Australia who know him,” said Natasha.

“As soon as I started here, it just clicked. When he decided to enjoy a rest at the other side of the bar I asked if I could continue his legacy and he said yes, so it was a private sale.

“Vic still lives here and he’ll still be coming down all the time, but now he gets to enjoy a pint instead of pulling them.

The pub is full of characters - even ghostly ones | Iconic Media Group

“It’s so nice that Vic trusted me. Not everyone would give this opportunity to a 19-year-old.”

Natasha plans to make some tweaks, but she’s very much going to keep the character of the popular traditional pub.

“I think a lot of people were scared I was going to rip out the character, but that’s not going to be the case. I’m going to bring back Sunday dinners very soon and a lick of paint and new lighting. I love it too much to change its character,” she said.

The historic pub has been in the village for 300 years after starting life as a coaching inn and is so old it even reportedly has its own resident ghosts.

Natasha says she loves the pub too much to change its character | Iconic Media Group

Like many villagers, Natasha has many memories of the pub.

“I actually used to come here with my gran and grandad for Sunday lunch when I was 11 and we found some old photos of me here then,” she said. “We’ve started a photo wall of regulars and there’s lots of photos of me and Vic over the past couple of years on there.”

Natasha got the keys to The Jolly Sailor last week and said she’s had a great response to the news that she’s taken over.

“I posted about it and my phone just blew up with 1000 notifications. People have been overwhelmingly positive and people are really happy for Vic as well,” she said.

Another new addition heading to Whitburn is Whitburn Village Cafe, which has been taken over by brothers Richard and Dom Ord of Colmans chippy fame.

They’re busy transforming the site to bring an elevated English cafe offering to the village whilst honouring its history.

*The Jolly Sailor, Whitburn Village, is open Monday to Wednesday 3pm to closing and Thursday to Sunday 1pm to closing.