Friends 'really excited' to bring new lease of life to Belper bar

After a successful opening weekend, the sky is the limit for the pair

A pair of lifelong friends have embarked on a new venture after taking over a popular venue in a sought-after Derbyshire town. Cameron Shearer and Charlie Juster opened the doors to Scran and Barrel on Bridge Street, Belper, on Saturday (October 5) following the closure of the long-standing Bang bar in Belper back in July.

The venue closed after a bout of flooding during the summer and a heartfelt message from a spokesperson read: "It is with sadness that Bang will not be reopening. It has been an emotional, fun and exhilarating journey within which we have met and made friends with some amazing people who have enriched our lives."

Now Cameron, who used to manage Bang, and Charlie, a well-respected chef who will be running Scran and Barrel's kitchen, look to bring back the regulars and return the venue to the thriving hotspot it once was. Speaking on what people can expect from the new place, Cameron said: "We'll be slowly introducing food over the next month or two and we expect to bring a wide range of street food-style dishes, as well as simple plates like chips and snacks, which, when paired with our selection of beer, is sure to go down well with the locals.

"There's not many venues like this, modern ale pubs, in Belper at the moment so we hope to bring something a little different to the town. We have 10 draught lines and four lines for cask ales and ciders - and we will also have lots of bottles and other items, so customers will be spoilt for choice."

Cameron added: "I am just so glad to be back, I worked at Bang in Belper for more than two years and it was one of the only jobs I have truly enjoyed. I worked at Bang from the day it opened all the way through until the day it closed.

"I'm really excited to see all of our old customers and regulars, they are what made working at Bang so special and I just hope we can deliver the same high standards as we always did." The pub will be open for drinks only for the next few weeks while a menu is developed.

At the moment, the pub's keg ales include London Black porter, Crich Stand IPA and Boundary Pillows pale ale. Crich Beatbox, Crich Rising Sun and Lilley's Bee Sting perry are also to be served from cask, with Birra Moretti temporarily acting as the pub's only lager.

Anyone fancying a drink at Scran and Barrel can head down to the Bridge Street venue, which stands prominently off the A6, from 3pm to 11pm from Tuesday to Friday and 12pm to 11pm on weekends. For more details, including food and ale updates, click the link here.