New owner of much-loved pub promises he will not change anything

The new owner of a much-loved pub promises to do virtually nothing to change it, with only the toilets getting a much-needed clean so far and some new artwork almost ready to go up on the walls.

The Bell may officially be located in Kingsdown but for many, the pub represents the spirit of Stokes Croft.

Its new owner, Sam Gregory, and landlady Olivia Ramsey, promise that “this corner of Stokes Croft isn’t going anywhere”.

Sam remains the landlord of the Bank Tavern in the Old City, well-known for its award-winning Sunday lunches, but says he is “not too keen” on doing food at the Bell because there are plenty of other food businesses already operating in the local area, naming Jamaica Street Street Stores, Bokman and Caper & Cure as just three within a stone’s throw.

Olivia added: “We don’t want to be competition. We want to be where they all come in for a beer after work.”

Inside the Bell, where Charlie the Irish Staffordshire bull terrier is already making herself at home – photo: Martin Booth

“For us it was about preserving the independent vibe that’s here” Sam told Bristol24/7 on only the second day he was the Bell’s owner.

“It’s developed over a number of years and we want to keep that. It’s like a mini Glastonbury in here. We get such a diverse range of people and it has such a diverse range of music throughout the week. It’s a reflection of Stokes Croft and its vibrancy.

“We are continuing to push the music, encourage the independent vibes, help support the independent businesses in the area.

“What was presented here was an opportunity. It was an opportunity to preserve some of the life of Stokes Croft. For us, it’s about having a pub where people can meet, to socialise in.

“It’s not about profit, although obviously we do have bills to pay. But the priority is keeping it as a pub. This corner of Stokes Croft isn’t going anywhere.”

Olivia already knows which artists she will commission to paint murals in the Bell’s garden – photo: Martin Booth

Sam and Olivia both grew up in Bristol and have been drinking in the Bell for many years.

Olivia, who previously worked for the Loungers group, has been landlady at the Bell since June 2021, “babysitting the place” in her own words, while Sam had a tenancy-at-will arrangement with former owners Butcombe.

Since Tuesday, Sam has owned the bricks and mortar of the historic building, which an old photograph shows once had an archway next door when Hillgrove Street continued up the hill to Dove Street.

“All too often, pubs have the heart ripped out of them in communities like this,” Sam said. “Property developers see them as ripe for development. But for us, that would be like having children to harvest their organs.

“What we want is a general evolution not a revolution. It’s not about a sudden knee-jerk change. It’s about us moving with the change not being the change.”

Olivia added: “The Bell is an entity of its own. We’re looking after it.”

The Bell is on the corner Hillgrove Street and Dalton Square – photo: Martin Booth

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read more: New sculpture appears on Jamaica Street

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