A "lovely" village pub which met its demise last year is set to throw open its doors once again this spring. The Tudor-style Four Bells Inn, in Woodborough, called time last November.
But it hasn't taken long for a new proprietor to step in and spruce it up. Beccy Webster may be a youthful 34 but she has a wealth of experience in the pub trade, making headlines when she was became the UK's youngest landlady, taking on her first tenancy at the tender age of 18 at the Elwes Arms in Carlton.
Beccy said she didn't have to think twice about taking over the Four Bells, in Main Street, when it became available. "I've always had my eye on it as it's such a lovely village and a lovely little pub," she said. "It's got great stuff around it - it's got the new park, the church, the village hall."
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Some of the repairs have delayed opening day but the pub will be back up and running in time for Easter. "We want to open at the beginning of April but we have not set an exact date. Definitely before Easter but we're not quite sure how far before," said Beccy, who also runs the Gedling Inn in conjunction with Star Pubs & Bars.
Bistro-style, good quality food will be on the menu with meat from local butchers and fresh fruit and vegetables from a local supplier. Diners can look forward to fish and chips, steak and Sunday roasts. Vegan and gluten-free options will be available.
The Four Bells, which was crowned best pub in the 2015 Nottinghamshire Food and Drink Awards, was renowned for its mussels nights and that hasn't been ruled out by the new landlady. She said: "I think it's something we'll definitely think about doing but we don't want to run before we can walk. We'll start off with some really good pub classics. We'll start small and then expand from there."
A new ten-strong workforce, including a new chef and bar team, have been taken on. "It's been like a blank canvas starting again. It's both scary and exciting at the same time," said Beccy.
There's no sweeping changes to the decor and the inn will remain dog-friendly. The interior has been repainted the same shade of blue and the olde-worlde style pub has been given a good clean after standing empty for several months.
Major work has been taking place behind the scenes though to repair the roof, resurface the car park and sort out the drains. Because the cellar had been closed for so long it has had to be stripped out and fitted with new lines, which has delayed the opening.
Locals have been asked for their views, including an online vote for the beers they'd like behind the bar. Beccy said: "There was an event at Woodborough Hall. We went to that and met so many nice people.
"Everyone was so helpful, offering all kinds of help and welcoming us into the community and then we had the coffee morning here which was just lovely. People were sharing memories of what they'd had in the past but also saying they were looking forward to the future and thinking about family occasions like christenings and birthday parties. Everyone just seems so nice."
Beccy proved the cynics wrong when she took over the Elwes Arms, pulling pints, while other 18-year-olds were out on the town. She left the pub, in Oakdale Road, in September 2020.
"I'd been there just over 15 years and my contract was coming up for renewal and with Covid, it was just time to move on. I had done everything I'd wanted to do there and always wanted to leave the place still loving it rather than resenting it," she said.
She will continue to run the Gedling Inn, in Main Street, and divide her time between the two pubs, adding: "I've got a good team of staff there so I know that it's safe. I've taken on 10 new members of staff here, a lot of them live in the village or Calverton so I think it will be lovely."
Regulars are looking forward to the pub reopening. Judi Coppell, of Mapperley, said: "The Four Bells was such a popular pub and was a great addition to the village, so we can’t wait to get back in our local and see what the new team have put in place."
Resident Andrew Newsome said the pub stayed closed during the pandemic even when hospitality was allowed to trade outside.
"The Bells just shut its doors and didn't even open when pubs were allowed to open for business outside. The other pub in the village, the Nag's Head, invested in several marquees and opened up. Consequently, when it did eventually reopen, the Bells had lost a lot of regulars and I wasn't surprised when I heard it was closing.
"I'm very much looking forward to a new start, with some fresh ideas, as the village can definitely support two pubs. I wish the new landlady well and look forward to going back to the Bells."
