Keen landlords are being urged not to let the recession put them off taking over East Anglia's empty pubs.As many pubs struggle to make a profit in tough times, Southwold-based brewery Adnams is currently looking for tenants for six of its businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Keen landlords are being urged not to let the recession put them off taking over East Anglia's empty pubs.

As many pubs struggle to make a profit in tough times, Southwold-based brewery Adnams is currently looking for tenants for six of its businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk.

The Mustard Pot in Thorpe Road, Norwich, and the White Hart in Blythburgh, south of Lowestoft, are two of the popular locals which are waiting for new tenants to step up to the bar.

In a bid to find the right people to take on the businesses, Adnams - which owns 72 pubs across the country - will be holding a drop-in recruitment day for potential landlords and pub managers in Norwich next month so that people can find out more about what running a successful pub involves.

Ray Lince, Adnams' business development manager, said it was important to offer lots of information so that serious applicants were not put off by fears about the gloomy economic climate.

He said: 'We're finding that we're getting fewer people applying for pubs, but the quality of the people who are applying is still good. We've had interest from lots of very genuine people.

'People are understandably think-ing a lot harder and a lot more seriously before getting involved in taking on a pub.'

He added: 'All of our new tenants have to undergo five days of special Adnams training before they start. We've got to give them as much support as possible for them to make a good go of it.

'Although having six out of 72 pubs needing tenants isn't ideal, it's not really too bad at all.'

The Adnams pubs currently needing new tenants are the Mustard Pot, Norwich; the White Hart in Blythburgh; the Star Inn in Wenhaston, near Halesworth; the Engineers Arms in Leiston; the White Horse in Badingham; and the Lord Nelson in Fore Street, Ipswich.

A drop-in recruitment day was held at the White Hart in Blythburgh on Monday and one was held in Ipswich just before Christmas.

The recruitment open day will be held at the Horse and Dray, Ber Street, Norwich, on Monday, March 16, from 10am to 5pm.