ABOUT US
Located at the feet of the picturesque Quantock Hills, The Rising Sun Inn is a warm & friendly favourite amongst visitors and locals alike.
Our menu champions the best of British Pub cuisine and our fantastic wines, and a round-up of real local ales combine to make us one of the best country pubs in Somerset.
New owners Michelle and Paul Fabian are working hard to build on The Rising Sun’s already outstanding reputation, and are going from strength to strength as one of the friendliest pubs in the Taunton area serving some of the top, value-for-money, quality food in Somerset.
With the motto "Vivamus Libero Tempus", translated "Time to live free", the couple's vision is to return The Rising Sun Inn to a quintessential country pub by taking its traditional British pub classics to new levels of taste and value for money.
The Rising Sun was constructed around 16th-century cob walls in the village of West Bagborough. The pub dates back to 1573 and was originally called The Shepherd’s Crook but known to the villagers simply as Crook.
Today we still have the magnificent (if a little quirky) original front door, original beams and more than 80 tons of solid oak timbers, which give The Rising Sun its unique feel.
West Bagborough is filled with holiday lets and camping sites, so once people have visited The Rising Sun, they quickly become ‘locals’ during their stay, loving being part of the village community.
Michelle says: “We just love to meet people and want to give everyone who walks through our door a wonderful experience to remember.”
Michelle & Paul
The Rising Sun owners Michelle & Paul Fabian and their team will become very familiar faces; for once you’ve been to The Rising Sun, you’ll want to go back.
Owners Michelle and Paul have a wealth of corporate and hospitality experience gained in the Oil, Gas, Airline & Aviation industries. They have spent a lot of time working internationally, holding senior positions and managing businesses throughout London, Sydney and Dubai in the Middle East. Now the couple are using that combined experience to make The Rising Sun near Taunton just that … an experience to remember for every customer who walks through the pub’s ancient door which dates right back to the 15th century door.
Michelle says: “A pub has to have personality, and the moment we walked in the doors of The Rising Sun, we knew this was the one for us. We felt at home, and now we are here to make sure that everyone who walks through our door feels exactly the same warm welcome and relaxed atmosphere.
MEET OUR TEAM
ELLIE WAKEMAN
Ellie is our front of house manager at The Rising Sun and runs a team of eight making sure every customer gets the best possible service; for customer service is the be all and end all for Ellie, who says: “From our first smile when customers enter the pub to when we say goodbye and thank you we want everything to the best it can possibly be for them."
Front of House Manager
ELLIE WAKEMAN
TRACY BARONS
Tracy is now in her second stint working at The Rising Sun … and is loving being back.
She was first there three years ago and if you wonder what a Commi Chef does then her role is to prepare fresh food, make the desserts and plate up the starters, puddings and main meals.
So if you love the way your food is presented, it’s likely Tracy will have done it.
Commi Chef
BELLA PIETROVA
Our senior Sous Chef Bella Peterova is an extraordinarily bright and talented chef and individual.
Bella's cooking experience has taken her all around the world from the humble fresh French Patisseries of Paris to the luxury cruise ships of Miami, to the rich mixture of cuisine of the Middle East working in some of the Dubai's most prestigious hotels.
Senior Sous Chef
DAN HOLE
Teenager Dan is known as Dan Can as he’s the pub’s ‘go to’ person if anything needs doing.
Apart from sorting out the drinks, he’s something of a handyman and will fix anything that needs repairing or can put tricky things up like mirrors.
Dan, who you’ll also see serving food when it gets really busy, was born in Somerset.
Bartender
MIA HANCOCK
Mia has lived in West Bagborough all her life and The Rising Sun has been a big part of it … never more than now since she started working here as a waitress in the spring of 2021. The 16-year-old loves the fact the village and the pub are such a naturally friendly place.
She says: “The pub feels like home to me as I’ve been going to it all my life with my family and working here is something I’ve wanted to do for such a long time.”