A FATHER of two has quit the corporate life to become one of the country’s youngest micropub landlords.

Craig Stocker will open the doors of Sussex’s latest micropub in Goring Road, Goring, after investing the redundancy money from a decade at energy firm EDF into converting a former clothing shop into his micropub dream.

The Georgi Fin, named after his two young children, will become Sussex’s eighth micropub as the old- fashioned style pub revolution takes hold.

Craig, 33, took 18 months to find the right site which for 40 years had been home to a gentleman’s clothing shop.

To pay respects to The Mans Shop’s stalwart owner Alan Dickson, the micropub will have a nostalgia corner with his old phone and newspaper cuttings about the shop.

Craig took over the property in December and has been carrying out £30,000 worth of renovations since the end of March by soundproofing the former shop and building a bar, cool room and ladies toilet.

A self-confessed “office boy” it has been a case of tuition by YouTube to get the work done, ably assisted by his partner Helene Quignot and children Georgi, 12, and Fin, three.

Craig said there had been huge interest in the pub with 15,000 people accessing its website – considerably more than the population of Goring.

He had hoped to open last month until some electrical issues pushed that back. The venue will now open at the end of the month.

Craig said: “An old-style pub with a social side to it is something really appealing to me.

“It is something that Goring needed. If you walk down the high street there are about nine or ten charity shops.

“There is a real demand for local pub where people can come in and have a quiet drink and catch up with friends without having to go to a restaurant or sports bar.

“It took a little bit of persuading for the council to agree to a drinking establishment in a retirement area but we convinced them we are not into long drinking hours, vodka shots or Jagerbombs.”

Doors will open from noon to 2.30pm and 5pm to 10pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon until 10pm Fridays and Saturdays and from noon to 5pm on Sundays when punters will be able to sample local ales, ciders, wine and bar snacks including cheeseboards and roast potatoes.

Craig was inspired to start his own micropub after “falling in love” with Brooksteed Alehouse in South Farm Road, Worthing.

He went to Kent, spiritual home of micropubs with almost 50, and met Martyn Hillier of the Butcher’s Arms, considered the founder of the movement.

He said: “Sussex has so many great breweries, 66 in total, but without many avenues to distribute their stuff. There is a micropub revolution starting to take off. There’s now a micropub near every train station between Hove and Angmering.”