The new managers of a popular village pub are hoping to entice back locals with classic grub, while remaining cashless.

The Tyler’s Kiln, near Canterbury, has been on a rocky road recently, closing in March just 12 months after its grand reopening.

It followed an 18-month long absence thanks to the pandemic.

But now new managers, Dhvani Patel, 36, and Byron Hayter, 37, want to win back villagers, but aren’t ditching the cash- free policy bought in by the previous tenants.

Instead they’re hoping woo diners with “honest pub food” and good beer, and reopened the boozer, on Tyler Hill, Wednesday last week.

The business partners caused outrage in March due to the cashless policy at another of their pubs.

When the pair took on The Powell Arms in Birchington-on-Sea, they decided to only take card payments, which was branded “disgraceful”, however Byron said it was to protect staff.

When asked by KentOnline, Dhvani stressed it was the last tenants’ decision to go cash-free at the Kiln, but they wouldn’t be reversing it.

The pub was previously run by fine-dining eatery Kathton House. Owner Allister Collins, believed that while the food was “top notch”, locals were after something different.

Byron, who also runs Chapman’s of Canterbury, and Dhvani, a trained radiographer, say they have big plans to entice locals in.

Dhvani, who runs a private GP practice in the city, said: “It’s been fun, stressful and exciting at the same time but because we’ve just done The Powell Arms it was a process that we had done together before.

“We’re going to go with British pub classics with Byron’s twist. So for example he’s got a curry sauce that is his invention that we’re going to serve.

“A lot of people have said that they just want Tyler’s Kiln to be a pub, which is understandable, so we are going to serve pub classics with our own twist.

“We’re looking forward to getting the locals back in.”

The pair also plan to hold events such pub quizzes, murder mysteries and bingo nights that made the watering hole the heart of Tyler’s Hill.

Dhvani went on: “Doors are open to everyone really and we don’t want anyone to come in here and feel hostile, we just want people to feel comfortable in that family environment.”

Byron added: “It will be the same as what we have done at The Powell, it will be back to being a British pub. It will be honest pub food, good beer and a nice chilled out atmosphere which is all it ever needed to be I think.”

Byron previously defended the decision to go cashless at their Birchington- on- Sea pub, telling KentOnline: “The biggest reason for going card-only was staff safety as it reduced the temptation for theft. It also makes life easier.

It will be easier when cashing up at night."

The pair marked The Kiln’s return a Hindu good luck ceremony, which involves breaking a coconut at the threshold.

A grand reopening is planned for Monday, July 17.