Much-loved Harborough village pub launches fundraising mission to create a stunning new beer garden

A much-loved Harborough village pub is launching a huge fundraising mission to create a stunning new beer garden.

Dan Woodward, 30, and his partner Sean Antony, 34, are setting out to collect £2,000 to set up the new outdoors space at The Bell Inn in Husbands Bosworth, near Market Harborough.

And an impressive £1,330 has already poured in as the new joint managers transform the popular Kilworth Road pub from top to bottom.

Delighted Dan told the Harborough Mail: “We have got off to an amazing start.

“It’s just gone boom!

“We are getting magnificent support from our lovely villagers as well as from people right across the area.”

He stressed: “The Bell’s a top pub but it was allowed to stand still in time for far too long – and it had become stale.

“Sean and I came in last September to turn it around.

“And we are kickstarting a massive effort to turn this glorious pub inside out and front to back.”

Dan, who’s managing his fourth pub but his first alongside Sean, said they are battling to generate £2,000 to reinvent their beer garden.

“It’s been a challenging few months.

“We’d only been here six weeks when we were plunged into a Tier 4 Covid lockdown and forced to shut our doors,” he said.

“So we made the most of our time painting the whole pub, putting up new pictures and shelling out around £3,000 to make the Bell a village living room for our fantastic locals.

“We then borrowed £4,500 from a close friend to get started on our garden.

“That money has proved so useful - but there's still so much more to do.

“Plants alone are costing £1,500 alone while soil, rocks and plants are going to be another £1,000,” revealed Dan, from Bakewell, Derbyshire.

“The whole revamp will cost us about £10,000.

“So we are appealing to the good people of Husbands Bosworth and across Harborough to help us finish off this project now and get over the line.

“As managers we only get a percentage of the takings.

“And we’ve not had any Government help since the lockdown started.

“So we are so grateful to villagers for getting behind us.

“We can’t thank them enough.

“They have been so loyal and so supportive since we moved in here.

“It’s been overwhelming, local people have really kept us going through such a hard time,” said Dan.

“Now we are targeting Monday April 12 to reopen and launch a whole new exciting adventure here at the Bell as we begin to get back to normal.

“We have brought in a new fryer, a new grill, we’re installing table buzzers and first-class table service.

“We are making the whole pub much more efficient and customer-friendly as well as homely and comfortable.

“This place has been crying out for decent managers to come in and take charge – it’s got so much potential.

“The brilliant people of Husbands Bosworth deserve a pub they can be proud of – and we are determined to give them just that.”

If you would like to help Dan and Sean put the finishing touches to their new beer garden in time to reopen in the spring sunshine you can donate here: https://uk.gofundme.com/f/help-us-do-our-pub-beer-garden-up