For Phil Docherty and wife Leanne, the lockdown of the country's pubs, which could well last until the autumn, has brought about 'unthinkable change' to theirs and other businesses.

Since the couple took over the Green Man in Ropsley, nearly five years ago, they have transformed the 17th century stone building, with extended hours, a village tea rooms, post office and a great reputation for real ales and good-value tasty gastropub meals.

Their hard work has seen them win numerous awards for food and drink, including Grantham area CAMRA Pub of the Year 2020.

After a busy weekend of take-aways and VE Day afternoon teas, Phil, who grew up in Grantham, reflects on the current 'strange times'.

He told Grantham Nub News: "Who'd have thought such an impact could have come about with such haste. From furloughing members of our team to shutting down our cellars in a safe way, these are actions no pub operator has ever envisaged needing to do in such a timescale."

"In the initial 3-4 weeks we held onto the full-time team after furloughing the part timers. We already had an established takeaway element to our business having offered fish and chips for some years, but also having invested in Italian pizza ovens and training for the chef team back in January. We'd already subtly launched a gourmet pizza offering named Signor Verde (The Green Man) and we were slowly establishing that before lockdown came about."

For the first three weeks of lockdown, it meant the pub was producing between 300-400 takeaway meals each week.

"It was incredible! However, when we began to fully comprehend the extent of the lockdown period (ie the suggestion that our industry could be closed until the winter) coupled with the moral obligations on our remaining team's own health and we'll-being, we then furloughed them all and closed for a fortnight whilst we gathered our thoughts and began to plan various strategies around how we could preserve the business through the pandemic."

Phil continued: "We'd always considered operating some form of shop, and commendable though it is to some pubs being able to offer such a service, the reality is the margins of such goods didn't make it commercially feasible for us.

"By week five, we were back open again for takeaways, albeit on a skeleton team and again, received an amazing amount of support. We even offer curries on Saturdays too as well as our existing takeaway menu."

The lockdown also cemented the Green Man's role as a vital part of the Ropsley community.

Phil said: "Since week one of lockdown, we committed to distributing meals to the over seventies in isolation amongst our parish. Every Wednesday, we deliver two-course meals out to a substantial list of them. Our "out-reach" post office branch continues to operate from the Green Man each Wednesday afternoon too.

"That's also a great way to keep the local community engaged. Because we knew people were getting out and about for their daily exercise, we made a point of hosting a "window of jokes" too whereby people can pause outside the premises to have a little chuckle at half a dozen constantly changing jokes and puns.

"That's now been coupled by the addition of a "window gallery" that showcases phenomenal work from local artists. This week, there are some really colourful pieces by Claire Carrington."

Phil and Leanne, who grew up in Ropsley, also produce a weekly mini-newspaper called 'The Strange Times', which detail local efforts during lockdown, snippets of village history and a little satire.

Phil said: "All our community initiatives, as well as our take-away menus, are detailed on our website and social media pages."

Such community efforts saw the couple keen to be involved in the VE Day celebrations, which attracted the support of so many villagers, with them taking part in socially-distant 'street parties' in their gardens.

Leanne suggested the pub made afternoon teas for take-away and delivery, and the demand was 'fantastic.'

Phil said: "We initially thought they'd only appeal to perhaps 30-40 of the local community, before long we had requests coming in from Grantham, Ancaster, even Gonerby! We ended up doing 251 of them in the end. Our local suppliers were fantastic in helping us honour such demand."

Now, with the Prime Minister suggesting pubs may not be open for some months, whilst soon allowing people to take day trips out into the countryside, Phil stresses he and Leanne are committed to adapting their business to ensure it can survive.

Phil said today: "Understandably, our industry is frustrated but nonetheless we all buy in to why we must conform to the government's plan to keep us all safe and re-establish the economy for the better in the long term. We know he's got his critics, but really, Boris has done a commendable job so far.

"All of this has made us flex in unimaginable ways. We've adapted our business overnight and will continue to do so to ensure the survival of The Green Man, Ropsley. It's failure wouldn't just mean another closed pub; It would mean an immeasurable loss of social cohesion in our community."

In the meantime, Phil and Leanne have nothing but praise for the village which has become their home, plus their other regular clientele.

Phil added: "We've just been so overwhelmed by the level of support, not just from our immediate community but from those further afield who have been regular patrons and diners but whom still continue to use our takeaway offering. By people continuing to support us in such a way, we are able to continue preserving this great country pub."