Locals unite to make pub their own

Villagers have ensured their local pub will remain at the heart of the community by clubbing together to buy it.

Fifty villagers in Shelford are believed to have combined to buy The Earl Of Chesterfield Arms for between £350,000 and £400,000 in a bid to prevent it from being sold or shut.

It is believed to be the first community-owned pub in Nottinghamshire.

The pub will open for business on April 6 as a bar and restaurant.

Mr James Fisher, one of the four directors of the Shelford Pub Company Ltd, said there were frustrations that such a renowned pub had fallen into decline.

“When the idea to buy the pub was first mooted, there was a great response from residents,” he said.

“The villagers didn’t want it to be sold or closed down. It had such potential that wasn’t being realised.”

Mr Fisher said not all the amounts pledged were the same. Some residents contributed small sums to be part of it, while others invested more.

Mr Steve Daw, of Main Road, contributed £10,000, an amount he said a lot of people in the village had matched.

“We wanted to keep the community spirit alive,” he said.

“It will be a meeting place for everybody. It will mean villagers get talking to each other again.”

The new landlords, Mr and Mrs Steve McCabe, who previously managed The Griffin at Plumtree, said they had been made very welcome and loved the idea of the pub belonging to the village.

“The whole ethos of the pub belonging to the community is brilliant,” said Mrs Jodie McCabe.

“They haven’t bought it to make money or as a business venture, they just didn’t want it to close.”

The couple had numerous offers of help as they refurbished the building, which has included a complete overhaul of the interior and the provision of a beer garden.

Future plans include creating a library where youngsters and villagers can sit and relax.

Mr McCabe has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in London and wants to bring a gastropub feel to the pub, while retaining its role as a place where drinkers can enjoy good beer and real ales.

“It will remain traditional with a quirky charm. It will be quite unique,” said Mrs McCabe.