The Blue Bell at Belmesthorpe is now run by Matt Thompson, former landlord of The Five Horseshoes, Barholm

Pub landlords have faced hard times in recent years.

The closures of covid, burgeoning booze aisles in supermarkets and the enticement of big-screen home entertainment means not everyone feels the pull of the pub any more.

But there are also pockets of success across the area, such as The Blue Bell at Belmesthorpe, just a couple of miles outside Stamford.

Matt Thompson recently took over as landlord of The Blue Bell, moving from The Five Horseshoes at Barholm where he worked for 12 years and where his former partner, Emma Freeman, has remained.

Having settled in to running the 17th Century pub, which is owned by the Hindmarch family, Matt says the formula is fairly simple - be welcoming and interested in people, keep the pub warm, and keep the beer lines clean.

“It’s a bit like being on stage,” he said. “Even if you’re not having the best day you need to be happy to see people, but not all landlords get that right.

“Fortunately I enjoy company and love pubs - it’s not just about the drinks. It’s about the people and the atmosphere.

“If I wasn’t running a pub, I’d be in one anyway.”

Matt, a car mechanic before becoming a landlord, developed a love for pubs growing up in Maxey, where another ‘Blue Bell’ served the community.

“It had a great landlord, Ron Cook, and it’s still a favourite pub of mine, as well as The Five Horseshoes,” he said.

Matt is helped behind the bar by his partner Hannah Robson, who works during the week for a land agent based in Langtoft.

They don’t employ a chef, but instead have a range of mobile caterers come to the pub, including a pizza van on Friday evenings, and a rotation of different food themes that includes roast dinner wraps, chicken dishes, and noodles and dumplings.

Meanwhile, the pub holds a monthly quiz night, and has darts and cribbage teams, as well as being a regular meeting place for the Books and Booze Reading Club and Rutland Motorcycle Club.

It’s also visited by a group calling themselves The Humpdayers, who make it their mission to support pubs and cheer up Wednesdays - often seen as a hump in the week - by going for a drink in one of their locals.

“We open at 4pm in the week and it’s usually fairly busy until about 8pm, then quietens off. But every weekend the pub is buzzing,” Matt said. “People regard it as a treat, perhaps, after a week at work.”

While The Blue Bell is the only pub in Belmesthorpe, there is competition, albeit of the friendly sort, from two pubs within strolling distance - The Green Dragon and The Millstone at Ryhall.

Both have also undergone a recent change of management, with The Millstone having only just reopened - a development Matt is pleased to see.

“It’s sad when a pub closes,” he said. “I’m a real pub person and running one combines work with what I enjoy.

“It’s long hours, but if the owner of the pub charges a fair rent, which Hindmarch does, then the landlord can earn enough to live on and we’re not struggling here. In fact, I’d say we’re doing well.”

Energy costs are high and Matt’s monthly electricity bill for the pub is £700 - and that’s without running a kitchen. He describes it as a financial balancing act.

“But you are your own boss and you meet lots of people,” he added.

“You can have high court judges drinking alongside bricklayers - everyone’s the same in the pub community.”