A couple who became pub landlords just before the covid pandemic have taken their community involvement to the next level.

Jamie and Linda Betts, who took on the running of The Railway Inn, Ketton as their first pub in October 2019, have now bought the 18th Century stone and slate building.

Their investment is part of a long-term plan to stay in the village where Jamie grew up, and keep running the pub that they love.

“Owning the pub was always an option when we took it on,” said Jamie.

“But there was a lease agreement in place and we had to wait a few years.

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“I suppose that gave us time to make sure it was viable.”

As owners of the pub, Jamie and Linda don’t plan to make sweeping changes, but they have invested in the furnishings, and will be adding log burners, improving the beer garden, the toilets and other aspects of the pub over time.

“We want to maintain what we have and if it isn’t broken there’s no point trying to fix it,” said Jamie, who previously worked in the printing industry, having started out at JEC Potter and Son in Gas Lane, Stamford.

“Business is as buoyant as we can expect it to be with the cost of living crisis going on,” Linda added. “We’ve had to take a few hits because we don’t want to put up our prices – it’s tricky with wine at the moment.”

The Railway Inn is known for its choice of beers, featuring guest ales such as those from The Grainstore Brewery in Oakham and from Baker’s Dozen, which brews in Ketton.

The pub was included in the Campaign for Real Ale’s (Camra) Good Beer Guide 2023, and Camra named it ‘Rutland Pub of the Year 2020’, East Midlands regional winner in 2022, and ‘Seasonal Pub of the Year’ this spring.

While The Railway doesn’t serve meals, it holds a ‘chippy tea night’ on Mondays by linking up with a fish and chip delivery service.

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Jamie and Linda are supported by Denise Bolster, who has worked at the pub on Tuesday evenings for about 20 years, has a great rapport with customers, and affords the landlords the opportunity to take time off, knowing the business is in safe hands.

Other jobs are often filled by students from the village. Jamie himself began like they did – his first hospitality job was aged 14 at Normanton Park Hotel in Rutland, and he also worked at The Exeter Arms at Easton-on-the-Hill and at The White Horse in Empingham.

Linda, who was an accountant, didn’t pull her first pint until they took over The Railway.

“You could have stuck a Flake in it,” she said with a smile, when asked how it went.

Despite becoming landlords only four years ago, they have thrived through good business ideas and their affinity with customers.

When covid struck they delivered beer on a bike and trailer nicknamed ‘The Flagon Wagon’ and people can still come into the pub with a flagon for take-out beer.

“We are lucky to have such amazing customers, who have put their trust in us,” said Linda.

“We have lots of people who come in from the village, including women who are happy to come in alone for a drink because they know they can sit at the bar and have one of us to chat to.

“We are also lucky enough to attract customers from Stamford and further afield.”