83 Investors; a lot of hard graft; and a huge dollop of community spirit later and the doors of the Bell and Bear are open once more. On the 10th December, at 5pm, the ribbon was cut and we opened for business. A true community venture, dreamt up by village, paid for by the village, painted by the village*. You lot are amazing!

We are a freehouse with a great selection of changing local ales. Guinness, San Miguel, Kirin, Camden Ale and Stowford Press. We have a wide range of wines by the glass supplied from our local wine merchant and a fantastic cocktail menu.

In May 2019, the Bell and Bear in Emberton closed its doors. Landlords, Jon and Sophie had won numerous awards including MK chef of the year and had built a glowing reputation for fine dining and superb beers and wines. If hard work, passion and talent in the kitchen were all it took, then they and their pub would have been basking in success. But this is a tough and cruel business. The number of small pubs has almost halved since 2001, with a pub closing every 12 hours. Despite strong support from the village, the pub was ultimately up against too much.

But it’s not the end.

The pub was owned by the Wellington Pub Company, who put the pub up for sale. And on the 29th August 2019, a public meeting was held to gauge the enthusiasm from the community in submitting a bid for the pub. It was standing room only at the Cricket Pavilion.

Why save the pub?

If you weren’t one to frequent the pub, it’s a good question. Whilst on face value they may seem opposite organisations, pubs work very much like the local church. It’s a community focal point, a place to meet, socialise, form friendships and build community spirit. They are proven to reduce the sense of isolation, particularly for those living on their own. And they provide a central point for clubs, societies and pub teams. Celebrating, commiserating and sharing life’s challenges and triumphs are all done over a swift pint or glass of wine. Don’t judge me, but most of my best friendships were cemented in the pub and most of my life’s milestones have been played out there.

More pragmatically, at least for the residents of Emberton, house values have been shown to be 7-10% higher when there is a thriving pub in the village.

So what now?

The village came up trumps and raised enough funds for us to be able to put in an offer for the pub which was accepted. Let’s be honest, it wasn’t in good shape, needing a rewire, a new roof, some serious plumbing works and more. But we had enthusiasm on our side. So proud to announce that the doors are finally reopening!

*When we say village, we have supporters from Emberton, Olney, France and even New York!