FOR the first time in living memory the wonderful and much lauded heritage pub, The Drewe Arms at Drewsteignton, with its fascinating history will open its doors as a Community Pub, free of any ties, owned and run by the community.
In Autumn 2022 this much-loved Dartmoor pub was closed and put up for sale by Stonegate, the pub company that owned it.
Feeling bereft by the closure of their pub and concerned at the prospect of losing it forever, the community rallied and through a community crowdfunder, raised £552,000 to purchase the pub from Stonegate and began the work needed to get it back open and trading.
This Saturday, March 16, to celebrate the very special milestone in this landmark pub's history, the community will mark its re-opening with a full day of celebration, culminating with a party serving food on the pub’s terrace and dancing and live music in the pub’s Long Room.
The planned schedule for the day comprises:
• Doors opening at 12 noon, when the entire pub, including the Long Room and the courtyard bar/marquee will be opened for the first time in two years. To mark this very special moment, Chagford Bell Ringers will “ring in” the opening of the pub from Drewsteignton’s parish church.
• Throughout the afternoon, food prepared by people within the community will be served.
• Because there is still considerable work being done to fully overhaul the pub’s kitchen, the village’s favourite local food vans will be arriving later in the day, including local butcher Michael Howard, who will be going along with a roast side of pork to fill pork baps throughout the evening.
• For rugby buffs, the Six Nations “Super Saturday” games will be showing on widescreen TV in a specially erected marquee with outside bar, over the courtyard to the rear of the pub.
• The whole event will be hosted by Simon Saunders, the new landlord along with Sam and Crystal, the new management team who have moved into the pub.
• In true Drewe tradition some fantastic live music has been organised. A very talented line-up of local musicians will be playing in the Long Room from 6pm.
• The Johnny Fuller Band will be headlining, playing a mix of classic tunes from a wide range of musical genres, supported by Drewsteignton local band “Henry Hassell and Friends”, entertaining with a mix of cover versions and original material, including “The Drewe’s Not Going Under”, Henry’s spin on the Sam Fender classic, which Henry debuted live on ITV's “Six O’Clock News” during the community campaign.
• All of that will be followed by a Disco until late.
Imogen Clements, on behalf of the pub campaign team, said: “There is a tremendous anticipation and huge gratitude to all those who’ve supported the campaign to keep this pub on the map and at the heart of its community, just as it always has been.
“We are incredibly excited to see its doors open once more, from Saturday!”
The Drewe Arms sign was recently raised and put back into pride of place. It was repainted by Drewsteignton local resident David Brampton-Greene.
Imogen added that there has been a lot of community effort and goodwill for the pub, to get it cleared of decades of junk, cleaned, decorated and spruced, ready for its grand re-opening.
She concluded: “This whole venture is one tremendous community effort that we are all very proud to be a part of.”