Milestone moment for Rudston Community Pub as tenants take over

One of the final pieces in the jigsaw for the reopening of Rudston’s Bosville Arms has been put in place after the pub’s incoming tenants signed on the dotted line.

Sharon and Martin Hinks have officially taken on the lease of the pub and will help the Rudston Community Pub Group oversee the finishing touches to a project that started back in 2019 – and will culminate with an official opening for the community facility when restrictions on the hospitality industry are lifted by the government.

Support for the reopening of the pub started to swell in Rudston and its surrounding villages around 14 months ago, just after plans for the Bosville Arms to be turned into a housing development were stopped.

Shortly after, a meeting was held in Rudston Village Hall and a rescue act was launched, involving a share scheme that would transform the pub into a community asset for Rudston and other nearby villages.

Support was such that £250,000 was raised to buy the pub, the majority invested by people who are now shareholders and the remainder via grants.

The Bosville Arms was officially handed over to the Community Pub Group in May and, thereafter, the extensive refurbishment has been carried out.

A second share scheme was launched in December 2020 and a premises licence was applied for successfully.

There was hope that the pub would be able to open on a limited basis over Christmas and New Year, however those plans were scuppered when the East Riding was placed in Tier 3 of the government’s COVID alert system, which required all pubs and restaurants to close.

However, with Sharon and Martin now in place, their experience will prove invaluable as the last parts of the refurbishment are completed.

Ian Simmonds, chairman of the Rudston Community Pub Group, told the Wolds Weekly that Sharon and Martin taking on the lease feels like a significant moment.

“Other than when we open for the first time, this is the final step in the process,” said Ian.

“The tenants officially signing up to take on the lease is a major milestone in our journey.

“Finding someone to take over the running of the pub is a big moment for us.

“We had around four or five interested parties, which was good, but we picked Sharon and Martin based on their experience and their enthusiasm and I’m confident we have made the right choice.

“Sharon and Martin are looking forward to getting started and it’s also beneficial for them to help us with the final stages of refurbishment before the restrictions are lifted and we can open.

“The experience they have will be valuable, none of the committee have ever run a pub before, and they can have some input into putting the finishing touches to the bar area.

“The refurbishment is almost complete; a few small jobs are left but not too much.

“If you walked into the bar now, apart from the lack of carpet, which is due to be fitted next week, it looks as though it’s nearly ready to open.

“The restrictions have helped us in a way, as not being able to open has given us a bit more time to get everything right and do jobs that we might not necessarily have done straightaway had there been urgency to open.

“Those jobs have been done and that’s good for the long-term benefit of the pub.

“Obviously, we don’t know when we can open and, technically, we could offer takeaway food, but it’s just a waiting game at the moment.”

With Martin having run pubs in London and the north of England over the last 20 years and Sharon joining him at his most recent establishment in Rotherham, the couple will be bringing plenty of experience to the Bosville Arms.

They told the Wolds Weekly that the people of Rudston have given them a warm welcome and they can’t wait to serve their first drinks to punters.

“When we saw the opportunity to apply to run the Bosville Arms, we decided to go for it,” said Sharon and Martin.

“This is our first pub in East Yorkshire and we’re looking forward to getting started.

“The kitchen will be completed in the next two to three weeks and we’ll then look at offering takeaways so people are used to the menu when we are eventually allowed to serve food in the pub.

“The community aspect of the pub was something that stood out for us, as was the bed and breakfast, and we hope to be able to serve coffee and cake as soon as the government tells us we can.

“We’re very excited to get started. We’ve had a very warm welcome from people in the village, who are all keen to come in, especially after five years without a pub.”

Once the green light has been given for the Bosville Arms, the plan remains for the pub to be more than a place for people to enjoy a drink.

The Community Pub Group is aiming to provide additional services such as a coffee shop, newspapers, a parcel collection point and internet access, as well as a venue for parties, funeral teas, sports teams and clubs to convene and for special events such as live music, lunch clubs for the elderly and social gatherings for teenagers.

Ian said he wants the pub to support as many people as possible.

“When we do open, the plan is still to be more than just a pub,” he said.

“The coffee shop will be open as well as other activities and we are going to ensure the pub is fully beneficial to the whole community.

“It’s been a great effort over the last three years to set this up and, over recent months, the project has given those involved with it something to focus on other than COVID.

“Everyone is looking forward to the day we can open and there’s a real buzz, not just in Rudston but other villages.

“I’ve been speaking to people from Burton Fleming, Burton Agnes and Bridlington who have told me that they can’t wait for the pub to open. It’ll support an awful lot of people.”