Couple who helped to breathe new life into inn

BACK in 2016, the news about the Derby Inn was much happier.

Colston Crawford, pub writer for the Burton Mail and its sister paper the Derby Telegraph, wrote an article about then landlords Lee and Rachael Betts celebrating a year in charge of the pub after saving it from closure in April 2015.

The pub was on its last legs, with its most recent licensees having left suddenly, leaving owners Admiral Taverns struggling to find new people prepared to take it on.

However, as Colston reported at the time, George Lambert and Walter Scott, of Wentwell Brewery in Derby, saw something in the run-down local and negotiated a lease with the owners. They installed Lee and Rachael to run it and, after a thorough makeover, the pub reopened in May 2015.

The Betts built trade steadily since then, attracting old regulars back, making the pub a popular pre and post-match drop-in for football fans and launching popular monthly music nights on Fridays.

A special beer brewed to celebrate Burton Albion winning the League Two season, Champions Bitter, proved a big hit. Colston wrote: “Perhaps most importantly for beer fans in Burton, the Derby Inn has been part of a recent spate of pubs opening and serving beers from independent breweries which are not often seen in the town – The Dog, The Crossing, the Middle Earth Tavern and the Fuggle & Nugget have all been part of that.

“Rachael Betts admits that it has not been all plain sailing but, now, they cannot imagine their lives without the pub.”

She told Colston: “For the first three months we wondered if we had done the right thing.

“It was a big step. But we’re glad we did it now.’”

Colston said some years ago, the Derby Inn enjoyed a great reputation for the quality of its Marston’s Pedigree, under the popular tenancy of Tony Foster, who died in 2016.

The Betts approved of what had been done – but Pedigree was not being served in 2016.

“Twelve months down the line, it has become a rarity now to be asked for Pedigree,” Rachael told Colston.

“But Wentwell’s Barrel Organ Blues has really taken over and is a brilliant pint.”