The Blue Bell pub in Embleton is set to reopen

The Blue Bell Inn in Embleton hasn’t operated properly as a pub for the past three years, leaving the village with only one other pub and separate hotel.

That all changes now that Embleton resident Pete Manion has taken on the pub with a 10 year lease to run the much needed food business.

He said: “People have missed it because they've only got one pub and one hotel in the village and the village is getting bigger. There's a great big new estate being built onto it and stuff so the response about it has being great off locals who just can't wait for it to open again.

“I know the area and I know the locals so that was a bit of a bonus.”

Pete is confident there’s scope for another pub in Embleton.

Running a business is not a new venture for Pete as he owns the building firm Castle Masonry and the micro pub Harry’s Bar, both based in Alnwick.

It was due to pain in his shoulders from previously playing rugby that Pete knew he couldn't carry on doing building work so he set out to diversify and opened up Harry's Bar, which has a very good success story of its own after it was transformed from an old shop and turned into the the micro pub it is today.

Pete said: “I'm enjoying it, I'm enjoying the trade and we're doing well at it so I thought it was time to get another one. I had to flick through the estate agent and came across the Blue Bell. I phoned them up, done a deal and here we are.”

Although owning a business isn’t new for Pete, Harry’s Bar doesn’t serve food, so the task of offering good pub grub will be a new challenge to tackle but Pete is confident he can provide.

"It's something I've never done before but I've got a very good friend who's going to be a head chef. The menu is going to be good pub grub. Very, very good pub grub,” said Pete.

The Blue Bell pub will open on October 20.