A town centre pub in Grantham says its re-opening at the weekend was 'better than expected.'

But landlady Allie Davies warns of 'tough times' ahead, especially if the weather is bad.

The Chequers at 25 Market Place re-opened on Saturday July 4, along with its sister, or should that be its brother, Edwards Bar and Lounge, just down the road.

Married couple Allie and Paul Davies have both been in the pub and brewing trade since they were 18.

Allie is from London and Paul from Manchester and they met in Cheltenham, where they both worked for a brewery.

The couple then decided to buy a pub and after looking all over the country, came to Grantham in 2005 with a baby and a five-year-old.

In 2009, they bought the Royal Oak, a couple of doors away. and opened Late Lounge April 09.

Then, in February 2019 we closed Late lounge and rebranded the business, which as Edward's, operates as a bar rather than a club.

Both bars are 'wet lead', meaning they focus on serving a good pint with a great atmosphere, with Allie saying "staff are key to our success."

The government-imposed lockdown saw both venues closed for more than three months.

Allie told Nub News: "Money has been tight obviously. However we luckily obtained a Government grant which has meant we could keep afloat and pay the bills.

"We have redecorated Chequers, painting the bar/toilets. Varnishing the bar, updating the back area.

She continued: "For the opening, we spaced the furniture, put relevant signs around the bars, made order and collection points, placed barriers in front of the bars so customers maintain distance.

Furthermore, the work also included putting distant markings on the floor and Sanitise dispensers near entrances. They couple also had to completed Covid Risk assessments, train staff training on the new guidelines before re-opening and setting up a track and trace system should any customers catch the virus anywhere.

Allie said: "The guidelines are necessary at present and will hopefully be relaxed in the future."

She said of the past few days: "The re-opening went well, better than expected. We operated a seated policy inside and out at both places. Everyone pretty much adhered to the rules. The atmosphere was great. There were soo many old faces not seen for awhile."

However, looking ahead, Allie added: "I think the future will be tough. If the weather isn't good then no-one will sit outside, so less revenue. We have less capacity therefore less income, with higher staff costs."

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Calling all publicans! Some of our most popular and best-read stories, both locally and around the country, have been about pubs. You are at the heart of our communities.

Tell us a bit about you and your pub. What did it specialise in before lockdown. What impact did lockdown have on your business? How did you respond and why? (take-aways, a shop', etc, any community-minded activities?)

What preparations are you doing for your re-opening? What challenges will you face and how are you trying to overcome them.

If you have had your re-opening, how was it? Was trade better or worse than expected? How was it seeing everyone again? Did customers accept the new guidelines?

Looking ahead, how might your pub and the industry in general differ after lockdown compared to before?

And if there is anything else you want to add, don't forget to tell us.

Please email your story to [email protected] . Don't forget to include some pictures, ideally of the pub and some people, and if you are offering take-aways, add a menu or two.

Hope to hear from you all soon and good luck with all you are achieving.