When the government decided to shut down pubs and restaurants in March, landlady Bel Polanek and her husband Lec wasted no time in making sure the Lamb Inn in Axminster was in tip-top condition when the lockdown restrictions were lifted.

When their loyal customers walked through the doors of the popular Lyme Road pub on Saturday morning, they could hardly believe their eyes. Many of them went on social media saying how much they liked the new-look Lamb.

During the 15 weeks that pubs had to keep their doors firmly shut, Bel and Lec completely redecorated the main bar area and Lec also refurbished the beer garden area as well as introducing to the strict social distancing measures.

They worked all trough lockdown and only completed the refurbishment the day before measures were lifted.

Bel told Nub News: "I was really nervous when we opened and was worried that our regular pub-goers would not like it. I was very nervous about the locals coming back but they have been brilliant."

Conforming to the government regulations, two screens were erected to the bar and drinks were served to tables with no standing at the bar area.

"I was worried that the locals wouldn't like this but they were great," said Bel. "We usually open from 11 am to around midnight but on Saturday we stopped serving at 10 pm. Again, our customers had no problem with this."

Although she had to reduce the number of tables, Bel is convinced that when further measures are lifted people will return to the favourite pubs.

Bel says she is a cook not a chef and but has an enviable reputation for serving good pub grub. Her traditional Sunday lunches are particularly popular.

Popular barmaid Georgina Dixon is back working full-time.

The Lamb served food throughout the day on Saturday and Bel was more than pleased with the number of tables occupied.

Usually, the dining room is reserved for eating only but whilst the restrictions take place the tables will also be made available for drinkers.

The extensive beer garden at the rear of the Lamb, with a paddock with lovely views over the countryside, will be prove to be a great asset whilst numbers are restricted.

The Lamb has eight skittle teams and one darts team but are not expecting either leagues to start until the winter.

To book a table at The Lamb call 01297 33922.

Belinda has run the Lamb Inn for 14 years and she also owns The Castle in the town centre which is now managed by Ben and Zoe Watts. The Castle, which was once run by Ben's father, Henry, also reopened on Saturday.

If you run a pub in the Axminster area and would like your business profiled by Nub News, call Philip Evans on 07796 951991.