Regulars in a North Yorkshire pub can stock up on stamps while supping a pint thanks to the visionary thinking and community spirit of their local licensees.

Hilary and Gerry Scott, who run the Punch Taverns owned Black Swan in Wistow, near Selby, have added a fully functioning post office counter to their business, thus protecting an important village amenity from closing for good.

Hilary said: “We have been at the pub for 18 months and had our post office running since last November.  It came about because the local store closed down and villagers were concerned about having to travel elsewhere.  They asked us if we’d consider making it part of the pub and the idea simply grew from there.”

It was Hilary’s 30 years of experience in banking that made her an obvious choice for the dual role of subpostmistress and landlady.  Before starting at the Black Swan she was working as a financial planning manager for HSBC in nearby Howden.

She said: “I loved it in the bank because it’s a people business and you’re dealing with customers face to face every day.  But Gerry and I always thought how great it would be to run our own pub and when the opportunity at the Black Swan came up we jumped at it.

“It was local to our home in Cawood and we knew the pub because Gerry drank there occasionally with the darts and dominoes teams.

“When Punch told us it was available and had been earmarked for refurbishment to increase its trading space, that sealed it and we successfully applied for the lease.  At first it was just me working in the pub, but after six months Gerry left his job as a delivery driver and joined me there too.”

The Black Swan was subsequently refurbished at a cost of £185,000.  During the eight week project, Punch built an extension which would serve as the pub’s dining area, fitted a new kitchen and updated the interior décor.

And after hearing about the couple’s plan to take over the village post office, the Punch designers also left space on the bar for a brand new counter to be installed.

Hilary said: “We applied to the Post Office shortly after the village branch closed and said we’d be willing to take it on.  The community was missing an important facility and public transport to other towns was fairly limited.

“The rural transfer officer came to visit and assessed the pub’s suitability.  We were given a grant to cover the cost of installing all the necessary equipment, including alarms and a safe, and received one to one training for the first week.

“Generally the support from the Post Office has been excellent.  There is a telephone helpline in case anyone asks about a service you’re not familiar with, which is extremely useful.”

Hilary is keen to stress the main objective with the post office project was to assist the community and replace a service locals clearly valued.  However, she also admits it’s given her and Gerry’s pub business a welcome boost too.

“There is no doubt it brings new people into the pub and if they’re coming here to do their banking or send a parcel chances are we can encourage them to buy a drink or snack,” she said.

“We never opened at lunchtimes during the week before the post office arrived.  Now we do teas, coffees, snacks and meals from Tuesday to Friday while the counter is running.

“The pub has become a real focal point in the village and these days it means a lot more to a lot more people.

“People use it as a meeting place and a local fundraising group, the Swan Neckers, often hold events here.  Last November we hosted the annual village bonfire and fireworks party and had 1,000 people attend.”

Pub company Punch Taverns is equally pleased with the success of the Black Swan’s post office and hopes other rural sites in its estate can learn from Hilary and Gerry.

Business relationship manager Mandy Southall said: “Local pubs have a key role to play in rural communities.  They are natural hubs; places where people meet up, socialise and share experiences.

“But the retailers at the Black Swan have gone one step further and helped save an essential village service.

“Diversifying the pub’s offering makes sound business sense because it attracts new customers through the doors.  But more than that, it also reinforces their position as a community orientated facility right at the heart of village life.”