The Bear in Bedford reopens this week after major £237k revamp

The Bear on Bedford’s High Street is set to reopen this Wednesday (November 15) after a major £237,000 investment.

Inside, the pub has been completely transformed with new furniture, flooring, fixtures and fittings as well as two flat screen televisions and a pool table.

Outside, there’s a new beer garden seating up to 30 people.

Chelsea Jarvis – who has over five years’ experience in the hospitality industry, managing pubs – will be running things.

"The pub looks fantastic, and I can’t believe the transformation. I’m really excited to get behind the bar, meet all our customers and support our local community. We’ll be starting off by donations to get a defibrillator installed.

“Pubs are the hub of their community, and we can’t wait to be the hub of Bedford,” Chelsea said.

To celebrate, The Bear will host a jam night with musician Danny Barton, at 8pm on Wednesday. The weekend will also include a live set from DJ Watt on Friday, followed by a performance from Megapint? on Saturday.

The pub – which is part of Proper Pubs, a division of Admiral Taverns – will also host weekly quiz nights, jam nights and regular fundraising events.

To kick this off, the Also-Rans will plan on December 10 to raise money for a defibrillator.

The Bear is also exploring opportunities to support the military veteran community.

How all this will go down with The Bear faithful is anyone’s guess. Hailed as the only remaining alternative pub, the revamped venue has already received a mixed reaction before it’s even opened.