LEDERHOSEN and sausages have taken the place of real ale at one of Worcester's oldest pubs - but its customers don't seem to be complaining.

The Cardinal's Hat in Friar Street now offers an authentic Austrian experience in the heart of Worcester thanks to a couple who have made the decision to leave their homeland.

Anton Limlei and Andrea Schtz have transformed the famous pub since buying it in two months ago.

The couple, from St Plten, the main town of Lower Austria, arrived in Worcester almost by chance after nearly two years planning their move.

They tried in vain to find a suitable location while still in Austria, before deciding they had to move to England to find the right place.

They flew to Birmingham last summer and went to Kidderminster to start their search, before being directed to Worcester.

"We decided this was the right place - it's quite like Austria in some ways," said Anton.

They tried to secure two other properties in Friar Street but their deals fell through. It was then, at the end of May, that they discovered the Cardinal's Hat.

"At the beginning we were treated very badly and we couldn't open a bank account," said Andrea, a 30-year-old psychologist. "It was very hard for us.

"When the two deals fell through, we were thinking that we couldn't make it happen.

"But we decided to stay, and this is the best place that we looked at. It's a lovely place."

The couple left Austria because they wanted a "change in our lives", said Andrea.

"Our families thought we were crazy," she said. "They couldn't understand why we would want to leave Austria, but we are happy here."

Andrea and Anton, 38, have put in a huge amount of work to make their dream come true.

They run the bar and the new Amaday Restaurant on their own, as well as looking after their two-year-old son, Anton.

The pub and restaurant are thoroughly Austrian, with all the beer, wine and food imported from their homeland. The couple also wear the national costumes, lederhosen and dirndl dresses.

One satisfied customer is Ron Gordon, who lives just a stone's throw from the pub.

"I love it - I come every day," he said. "The beer and the atmosphere make it so different to an English bar.

"You can relax properly here, which you can't do in an English bar."