A rural pub is once again at the heart and soul of a village after a recent take-over – Lynette Pinchess takes a drive out to Shelford
WITH a roaring coal fire, a decent pint of ale and hearty homemade food, country pubs are an important part of village life.
But they are also an endangered species, disappearing at an alarming rate of 20 a month.
Earlier this year last orders were called at The Earl of Chesterfield Arms, the only pub in Shelford, when it went bust.
With a pub standing on the country lane since records began, it was a bleak day for the locals, who two years before had clubbed together to raise £400,000 and formed the Shelford Pub Company in order to buy it.
But their efforts weren't in vain. Experienced chef and landlord Julian Benton came to the rescue.
His newly formed business partnership with Lisa Miller, from the Staunton Arms, and former England and Notts cricketer Chris Broad took over the lease, while the freehold remained with the locals..
Following a refurbishment and the introduction of a new menu, the Earl of Chesterfield has entered a fresh phase.
Julian – whom some may remember as the owner of Benton's Brasserie in Heathcoat Street, Nottingham – saw great potential in the building and its location at the centre of a idyllic village a few miles out of the city .
"It's a country pub, it's lovely, that's what I'm trying to bring back, the features of what a country pub should be all about – open fires, Sunday lunch, a nice pint of beer. We've got a nice garden and a beautiful restaurant.
"It's got a nice feel to it. You walk in and it's got a nice hum to it," says Julian, who co-owns the Staunton Arms, one of the finest pubs in the Vale of Belvoir.
"There's a drinking area, snug and a TV – it's in the corner but there's not a major emphasis on it."
Hard work, smiles, good food and good service are what's going to take to make it work.
"Anything we can do for anybody, we do it. If they want something different or want to change something, never say no," says 45-year-old Julian, whose wife Rachel works for Boots International.
With meat from Owen Taylor's butchers in Alfreton and vegetables from Maxeys in Kirklington, the freshness and quality speaks for itself.
A la carte diners can chose from a three-course menu with freshly prepared mains such as traditional battered haddock and chips, rump steak or fried halloumi with a tomato, caper and cucumber salad.
But it's the homemade beef and ale pie with mash or hand cut chips that's top of everyone's list, whether they sitting in the Chapel Restaurant or the more informal surroundings of the lounge.
Light bites, including roasted brie on thick-cut granary bread and smoked salmon and scrambled egg on toasted brioche, are available every day but Sunday or there's good old pub sarnies, chock a block with beer battered fish, ham with English mustard or bacon, brie and cranberry.
"It's a completely new menu. We've based ourselves a little bit on Staunton with a country feel with the pies, the roast beef and all the trimmings.
"It's traditional English with a little bit of a twist, like a Scotch egg with black pudding. That's my ethos in all the pubs I run," says Julian.
The Earl of Chesterfield, which serves food from noon every day, welcomes families and offers a children's menu with favourites such as sausage and mash and breaded chicken sticks and chips.
In charge of the kitchen is Kristian Beastall, who worked there previously, and was promoted to head chef under the new ownership.
But what's a pub without a decent bar?
Wine comes from some of the best regions of the world but instead of the obvious classics, they've opted for wines from lesser known areas and villages that are surprising good.
As for beer, there's cask ales from national and regional brewers.
The pub has a whole new look. During a five-day refurbishment the bar, furniture and decor were overhauled. The dark dreary red walls have been brightened up with a swish of magnolia.
Julian, a father-of-two, from Burton Joyce says: "We changed quite a bit of the decor to make it a bit more light and airy, a modern country pub.
"We want to drag people back out, drag them away from the TV.
"The locals and the shareholders have been fantastic and very supportive. We pay our rent but at the end of the day they're coming back in and we're giving them what they want."
Julian has nearly 30 years experience in the industry which began on a YTS (Youth Training Scheme) at Tom Browns in Gunthorpe. From there he became pub landlord in Leicistershire pub at the age of 21.
"It was a quick learning curve," he says.
At 27, he opened Bentons Brasserie and more recently he bought the Staunton Arms, a 200-year-old pub, which he still runs.
According to Julian there's not much difference between running a rural and city business.
"It's easier to park!" he says straight off.
" I've had a lot of customers from Nottingham follow me round a little bit and find it even easier to get to me now we're a bit closer to Nottingham than Staunton."
And it's not just motorists that can park easily – the pub has introduced a horse park.
"One of my wife's friends texted me saying that she comes riding here but there's no where to park the horse. I said no problem, I'll sort a horse park for you with some water and hay."
Horserider Debbie Scott, who lives in the neighbouring village Newton, can now tether her horse Hoolee up outside next to the pub's garden
"Where it's situated there are quite a lot of horseriders and a big livery yard in Shelford and a very good one in Newton.
"There's a big bucket of water and a spade and bucket so you can clean up afterwards.
"There is definitely a need, a desire, especially in the summer, people will more than likely go there and have a drink, not necessarily an alcoholic drink, and a sandwich."
Since becoming an investor, former cricketer Chris Broad pops in regularly to have a drink and get to know the locals.
Now a match referee, he held his 57th birthday party at the pub with his son Stuart, daughter Gemma and friends.
"Most of us went for pies – they are made in the kitchen by the chefs. My daughter can be quite difficult to please and she said that's the best pie she has ever had. The food is terrific value and great quality."
Chris, who lives in Lady Bay, has known Julian from the days of Bentons Brasserie.
He says: "My investment really is in Julian because I have watched his career grow – he is such as enthusiastic and conscientious landlord and business owner.
"The Earl of Chesterfield has a really good feel to it – it's a lovely village and very accessible and the pub itself has a fantastic atmosphere."
Farmer James Fisher, born and bred in Shelford, is one of the major shareholders, whose sense of community galvanised him to club together with other villagers to put up money for the freehold within seven days.
"If you can imagine it was a pub that was not doing any trade. It comes down to the value of people's houses. My view is a village with a good pub puts £10,000 on. The desire to live in a village with a good pub is great.
"It's very good. I had Sunday lunch down here and it was excellent. It's definitely got a rosy future," says the 62-year-old.
* The Earl of Chesterfield, Manor Lane, Shelford, tel: 0115 933 2227, www.earlofchesterfield.co.uk
