Accountant Colin Milne has swapped his calculator for a colander and his pin-stripes for kitchen whites.

With four friends he has taken over a country hotel in the heart of the Sussex countryside and is now working as a professional chef.

Just six months after taking charge at the Mannings Heath Hotel, near Horsham, the new owners are reporting near-capacity bookings.

It was speedy service from Lloyds TSB Commercial which enabled the group of friends to complete the purchase of the hotel, formerly known as the Brookfield, in just six weeks.

Colin runs the hotel with Mike Dunne and their associate directors Lawrence Gillett, Ian Cameron and Frank Whittaker.

Although they were all high achievers in a range of other major businesses, only Frank had any previous experience of the hotel and catering business.

Now Mike, 46, formerly in the property and banking business, manages the front of house and bar.

After many years as an accountant and computer specialist for national commercial radio stations, Colin, 53, is responsible for the finance of the hotel.

He also holds sway in the kitchen, achieving a long-held ambition to progress from expert amateur cook to professional chef.

Mike explained the hotel was bought with the help of a term loan from Lloyds TSB Commercial as an investment property by the directors' own Self Invested Personal Pension Scheme.

The hotel is now leased back to an operating company in which the three associate directors have an interest with Colin and Mike as the principal shareholders.

Mike said: "The property was originally offered to me with a view to it being reconverted to a country house.

"But Colin and I decided it was just too nice as a hotel.

"At the time it had low occupancy, was closed most weekends and was looking a bit sorry for itself.

"It was also expensive. Not surprisingly, few local people even knew of its existence."

Mike and Colin were on a fast learning curve but with the help of a dedicated staff, they set about revitalising the business.

Mike said: "When we came in, there was no draught beer and most food was cooked from frozen."

Now beer pumps grace the bar and fresh, local produce is the main ingredient in Colin's kitchen.

Licensed for marriage ceremonies, the venue has become a hit with wedding parties.

Mike said: "With a beautiful terrace, lake and a view over our own golf course, we have the best back garden in Sussex."

Corporate guests from the many companies based in the area are finding the hotel an ideal base. Occupancy between Monday and Thursday is running close to 100 per cent.

In addition, the hotel regularly hosts events for up to 150 people at weekends and 26 weddings are already booked for next year.

The success of the venture came as no surprise to David Amos, manager of Lloyds TSB Commercial in Guildford.

He said: "Within days of seeing the hotel, the guys had already put together an outline business plan.

"Over the next three to four weeks, Colin produced a detailed plan based on the hotel's potential.

"Given the strength of that business plan and the way we worked together, we were able to set up an agreement in principle in little more than a week.

"It was a lot of hard work for them in a very short space of time."

Mike said: "David was a breath of fresh air. He worked with us through a highly pressurised time. To transact the deal in six weeks was quite an achievement."