For many in Putnoe, The Bluebell is more than just a pub. It is where stories begin, friendships form and, for some, where whole chapters of life have played out.
From pensioners meeting for coffee in the morning to families gathering for lunch and younger crowds filling the bar on Friday and Saturday nights, generations of Bedfordians have passed through its doors.
Now, following the departure of popular chef-manager Mikael, a new team is stepping in with a clear plan to keep what people love and build on it.
Keeping a community pub at its heart
New landlady Anne Hughes is well aware of what The Bluebell on Putnoe Lane means to local people.
“The Bluebell is a bit of an institution in Bedford, more so in Putnoe,” she said, and she’s right.
Formerly The Clay Pot, built in 1975, its name changed to The Bluebell in c1988. It may not have always been everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s had a bit of a renaissance of late, largely thanks to the work of outgoing manager Mikael, who Anne says she’s proud to be taking over from.
Read: Last orders for Mikael as Bluebell manager leaves for Lyon to pour Bedford brews
After spending several weeks getting to know staff and customers before officially taking over, Anne said the feeling she picked up straight away was one of community.
“It’s a family feel pub,” she said. “It just seems really nice, and I’m really looking forward to keeping what Mikael started and continuing with that.”
Unlike some of the venues she has taken on in the past, she was named a Community Champion after turning around The Railway Steamer in Shefford, Anne is not arriving to fix something that is broken.
“The pub’s on good footing,” she said. “Mikael did a great job.”
Instead, her focus will be on strengthening what is already in place, particularly in customer service and community engagement.
“I’ll be based out the front,” she said. “That gives me more time to talk to people, get events going and make it even more of a family-friendly pub.”
Listening first
Anne is starting by involving both staff and customers in shaping what comes next.
“The first thing is to involve the staff,” she said. “Find out what works, what doesn’t, and get their ideas.”
From there, she plans to build a programme of events, drawing on her background in event planning, but only once she has a clear sense of what will work in Putnoe.
“I’ve got a whole list of ideas,” she said. “But I need to get a feel for what people want. If we do an event, we want people to turn up.”
That could include more regular entertainment, themed nights and potentially larger community-led events, all aimed at strengthening The Bluebell’s role as a local hub.
“There are only a few pubs nearby,” she said. “So this can be a real centre for people who live here.”
And it’s the people nearby who will make all the difference.
As it stands, The Bluebell is the only pub in Putnoe. Yes, there are some a short walk away in Goldington and Brickhill, some a little further in Renhold, Castle & Newnham and Bedford Park, but The Bluebell is part of Putnoe’s identity.
A steady hand in the kitchen
In the kitchen, new head chef Lynn Brisco, who joined the team almost a month ago, is taking a similarly measured approach.
Taking over from a well-liked predecessor is never straightforward, but Lynn is clear about her priorities.
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” she said, “Mikael raised the standard and had very precise ways of doing things, so we’re keeping what works.”
That means familiar dishes will remain on the menu, with only gradual changes introduced over time, testing things on the specials board first before making any big changes.
At the same time, Lynn is keen to introduce new ideas, particularly around themed food nights that reflect Bedford’s diverse community.
“Bedford is a melting pot, so we might reflect that with different cultural nights,” she said. “We’ve got a Polish chef with some great ideas as well.”
Female-led
Having only met through coming to The Bluebell, Anne and Lynn haven’t worked together before, but are both on the same page when it comes to creating a culture where staff feel involved and valued, something they see as key to the pub’s future success.
And the way these two women are talking, it’s a culture they both see as a natural step for the modern pub trade everywhere.
Anne, who has run venues on her own before, and Lynn, who spoke about the challenges women have traditionally faced in kitchens, said the industry has changed significantly.
Lynn said that when she first started, catering was “very male” and women had to fight harder to be recognised, but added that this is shifting, with more women now “running the show”.
Both said that influences their approach to building the business on teamwork, shared ideas and creating an environment where staff feel safe and part of the pub’s success.
“It’s not my kitchen, it’s everyone’s kitchen,” Lynn said. “Letting people have input is the best way to give them ownership.”
Anne echoed that approach on the floor.
“They [the team] need to have their input,” she said. “That’s why we’re doing team meetings and getting everyone’s ideas.”
The pair is also aligned in wanting to be visible to customers, rather than staying behind the scenes.
“I don’t want to hide in the kitchen,” Lynn said. “I want to come out, talk to people and see what they think.”
Looking ahead
While plans are still being shaped, there is a clear sense of direction.
Anne is already working on a programme of events, with the aim of offering something different each weekend, while also looking at ways to make better use of the pub’s garden space.
“There’s going to be a garden transformation, I’m looking forward to that,” she says with an excited smile.
“There’s something for everyone here,” she adds, “People just need to come in and try it.”
For a pub with such deep roots in Putnoe, that may be the most important point of all.
The faces behind the bar and in the kitchen may change, but the role The Bluebell plays in the community remains the same.
And if Anne and Lynn get it right, it will be a story that continues for many more generations.
