The pub has been sold by Pete and Nicola McGowan, who bought the site more than eight years ago to save it from closure. The couple have now sold the business to focus on retirement.
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The Blue Bell Inn, located near Corby and close to the Rutland border, includes a cosy bar area, snug spaces, a games room and a partly covered beer garden. The rear garden is powered and set up to host live music and catering events.
Red Oak Taverns has added the pub to its estate of wet-led community businesses and secured new tenant partners, Jon and Lou, to run the site.
‘Community focused pub’
Pete McGowan said: “We have had an amazing time renovating the pub and seeing it become an important part of people’s lives. However, it is time to move on, enjoy retirement and let someone else take the reins and take it to the next stage.
“We sincerely wish Jon and Lou all the very best and hope they enjoy being the new custodians as much as we have.”
Red Oak Taverns said: “We are delighted to have added this pub to the Red Oak family of wonderful community focused pubs. The Blue Bell overwhelmingly meets our strict acquisition policy of securing sustainable wet focused businesses.
“We have secured new tenant partners, Jon and Lou, who we are confident will build on the efforts and hard work of Pete and Nicola and ensure the Blue Bell is a treasured pub for many years to come.”
Wet-led market
Jonty Green, business agent for pubs and restaurants at Christie & Co, managed the sale process.
He said: “Pete and Nicola have done a great job in saving the pub from closure, creating a fantastic community focused pub. It’s a further demonstration of the strength in the wet-led market and I’m thrilled to see the Blue Bell added to Red Oak’s estate.”
The pub was sold for an undisclosed sum, off a freehold asking price of £450,000.
The acquisition comes after Red Oak earlier this week reported record turnover in 2025, with sales rising 8.5% to £25.5m.
The operator said that 2025 had been a year of consolidation following acquisition-led growth in 2024, but added it would continue to invest in its portfolio and look for strategic acquisitions to support future growth.
