After 25 years as a landlady of a busy Keswick pub, Debbie Burrows was entitled to a quiet early retirement.
But shortly after hanging up her apron at the Lake Road Inn, Debbie has been lured back behind the bar as landlady at the newly refurbished Board & Elbow in the heart of Penrith.
The historic 300-year-old pub has reopened after a £360,000 revamp, with Debbie now happily running operations with her nephew Adam Peat, from Penrith. “I took early retirement in November, but by Christmas I was pulling my hair out I was so bored. When the opportunity came up to run the Board & Elbow I jumped at it. My husband Eddie
says it is in my blood. It has been great to get back to work. I couldn’t stop. I reckon I have a few more years left in me,” joked 61-year-old Debbie.
The pub on the corner of Corn Market and Great Dockray, reopened in March after an extensive six-week refurbishment.
Its transformation involved internal and external decoration, new fixtures and fittings, furnishings and decorative lighting. The kitchen has also been upgraded and a new food and drink offering has been launched.
Debbie has a management business agreement to operate the pub on behalf of Punch Pubs & Co and has been encouraged by feedback from loyal regulars.
She has plans for promotions, quizzes and live music but customers will still be able to enjoy live sport coverage thanks to new televisions and audio systems. Meanwhile, the new-look bistro-style outdoor area also reopened this week as warmer weather approaches.
Debbie stays on the premises Thursday to Monday and 25-year-old Adam, who previously worked with her in Keswick, is on site Monday to Thursday.
She added: “We have had a great reopening and things are going really well. We had an excellent Mother’s Day catering for so many tables and it has been lovely to get to know our regulars. The Board & Elbow is different from my last pub. Here, we have a lot more regulars whereas as the Lake Road Inn, we had a lot more tourists.
“I don’t call myself a manager. I’m a landlady and I always will be a landlady.”
