An historic* Halesowen pub – which dates back 400 years – is set to close for a £135,000 revamp that will help it thrive for the long-term.
The funds will turn The Bell & Bear on Gorsty Hill Road into a top quality family friendly local with additional bar space for drinking and socialising and an extended menu of home-cooked food. A second phase of works is planned to develop a massive destination garden behind the pub in the spring.
The project is being carried out by Heineken-owned Star Pubs and The Bell & Bear’s new operators – local resident Chad Hudson (who also runs the award-winning Loyal Lodge on Furnace Hill Road) and the pub’s former managers, David Clynshaw and Halesowen born-and-bred Zoey Maycock. The trio banded together to prevent The Bell & Bear from closing when the previous licensees retired last year. Since then they’ve worked tirelessly to refresh the pub. Improvements have included creating a glass-sided terrace with views over the countryside, installing a £30,000 commercial kitchen and bringing in barista-quality coffee sourced from a Halesowen roaster. The refurbishment will build on the changes and upgrade The Bell & Bear throughout, taking it to the next level as a superb local.
The Bell & Bear will close after last orders on the 25th January and reopen in late February.
The overhaul will carefully renovate the outside of the tired pub, painting it in classic dark green and cream and adding new signage and lighting. An unused part of the garden will be opened up in time for the summer, complete with a children’s play area, seating for 120 people and an outside bar. There will be space for events, too, and family fun days, a bouncy castle and mini festivals are on the cards.
A sympathetic interior makeover will preserve The Bell & Bear’s rustic character and cosy charm, whilst making it more comfortable, welcoming and stylish. The smart new decor will incorporate warm heritage colours, designer wallpaper and deep button-back banquette seating and will retain and restore features like the old timber floors, wood paneling and the fireplace. A snug will be kitted out with high bar-style furniture for those wanting to enjoy drinks, and there will be a separate area for diners with new tables and chairs to accommodate large groups.
To further its reputation for good food, David – who heads up the kitchen – is launching a new menu of freshly prepared pub classics, which will include existing customer favourites like Black Country faggots and Sunday roasts. On the drinks front, a cellar revamp will install state-of-the-art dispense equipment to ensure consistently perfect pints and there will be a new range of flavoured spirits.
Says Chad:
“I’ve been a regular of The Bell & Bear for a long time and always loved the pub – it feels like a country inn although it’s in town. I couldn’t bear to see it close and neither could David or Zoey. Our aim is to unlock all its untapped potential and give the community a fantastic local with a family focus that has the best beer garden for miles around.”
Adds David – who has been managing the pub since 2014:
“I love running The Bell & Bear and can’t ever imagine leaving. The customers make it; they’re so friendly and there’s a mix of ages, with four generations of some families using the pub. We’re putting our all into The Bell & Bear to make it even better – it’s our way of showing our gratitude for all their support. I feel very lucky to have a pub in Halesowen. I’ve never come across an area with so many great pubs; they really contribute to the town’s sense of community.”
Comments Star Pubs’ investment manager Lee Dishington:
“Chad, David and Zoey all have strong local ties and are passionate about bringing out the best in The Bell & Bear. We’re delighted to be investing with them in such a well-known Halesowen pub and backing their exciting plans. It will be a truly lovely local when the works are done. The garden has the sun on it all day and with its stunning views will be an attraction in its own right come the summer.”
*The Bell and Bear is believed to have originally been a farm called Gorsty Hill Farm. It subsequently brewed and sold beer to local workers as the area changed during the Industrial Revolution. In 1851 it was fully licensed and became The Bell Inn. The pub was renamed The Bear and Bell in 1988.