Meet the couple with big shoes to fill as they take over Ampthill pub
A couple taking over a pub in Ampthill have acknowledged they have big shoes to fill as they prepare for their latest challenge.
Gary and Simone Willis are the new publicans at The Albion, on Dunstable Street, and are currently settling in before reopening the pub’s doors on Friday, September 11.
The couple are moving to Bedfordshire from the north-east along with their labradors Abbie and Oscar, and both worked in and ran pubs for more than 20 years before meeting.
After meeting in 2016 they discovered a shared love of good food and good ale and got back into running pubs as a couple.
Together they ran pubs in different parts of the country, including Rugby, Hexham and Whitby, with Gary telling Bedford Today they were attracted to The Albion as they searched for a smaller venue as their latest venture.
“As we reached retirement, we wanted a smaller wet-only venue, as we had been running two venues with rooms and food and it was getting too much,” Gary said.
“We started looking for a place we could run into retirement which had the right local pub vibe, and where we could thrive doing the kind of light bites and good quality drinks we love.
“When we visited, we felt the warmth of The Albion straight away, not only from the pub itself, but from its customers and the welcome of Ampthill.”
Gary and Simone are taking over The Albion from Colleen, whose final day as publican was Sunday, September 6.
Colleen is returning to her hometown of Leicester following six months running The Albion, and Gary said they had met with her during the handover process.
“Colleen has done a wonderful job during her brief time here, returning the pub to a much-loved hub again,” Gary said.
“We have seen this from the outpouring of love and affection on the Facebook page since announcing she was leaving and have been told numerous times we have big boots to fill.
“We hope the community will give us time to find our feet and showcase what we have to offer as we intend to be here long term.”
Gary said they have plenty of ideas for what they could do at the pub, and that they hope to continue some of Colleen’s successful events.
“We plan to utilise the events like paint and sip and the bring your own records night that Colleen has found great success with,” Gary said.
“Then we would like to add some of our favourites like a weekly quiz, Play Your Cards Right and meet the brewer evenings, along with regular music acts.
“We would also like to introduce more homemade and locally sourced bar snacks and grazing boards.”
The Albion is reopening under Gary and Simone’s management, at 3pm on Friday, September 11, while customers can follow their plans through the pub’s relaunched website and social media pages.