The new landlords at The Grapes Inn Falmouth have shared their joy after an 'amazing' first month in charge.

Mel (Melissa) and Gid ( Gideon) reopened the pub in July after moving down from Staffordshire.

Grapes had previously been run by the Webb family for the last decade but they announced they would be leaving in October (2022).

The couple had run a pub called The Crown Inn, in Rugeley, for the past six and a half years and are now excited to use their experience to make the Grapes Inn the best pub it can be.

I got in contact with Mel to learn more about the team and their move down South. I first asked how they found out about the pub and the town.

Mel and Gid the new landlords. (Image: Grapes Inn Falmouth)

Mel said: "I used to holiday in Cornwall as a child with my family. So, it's somewhere I've visited often. I then came to Falmouth for a week around seven years ago whilst Gid was working here and we instantly fell in love with the place.

"The Crown is a Craft Union Pub so when my Regional Manager told me about The Grapes becoming a Craft Union pub, we jumped at the chance to have it. 

"Falmouth is a beautiful place! Who wouldn't want to wake up to a view of the harbour every day!?"

I then asked Mel what their experience has been like since moving here. She said: "The weather hasn't been the best since we moved here, but that hasn't dampened our spirits. It's beautiful rain or shine. 

"It's such a different pace of life here. It's so nice. The people here are so welcoming and friendly - We've met a lot of people who live locally, and it's been such a pleasure."

Despite being a seaside town in Cornwall, Falmouth has a huge number of events. I questioned Mel on whether she and Gid were aware they had opened right before two major points in the calender.

Mel said: "We knew about Falmouth Week and Tall Ships before we made the move. But I don't think anything could've prepared us for just how busy we actually were. 

Grapes is located on Church Street in Falmouth. (Image: Nub News)

"I think for the first three weeks I was managing around three hours of sleep each night. But it has been 100% worth it, the whole of Falmouth Week was brilliant.

"Thanks to Tim at SouthWest Bars & Events I was able to go into the main event marquee to see the different performances each night - I managed to do this a couple of times, even if it was just for 10 minutes or so due to how busy we were. But it was amazing. 

"We definitely feel like we've settled in now. I think sometimes it's best to be thrown in at the deep end and just embrace everything that comes with it."

Finally, I spoke to Mel about what customers could expect from the pub going forward. She made it clear that it's a community pub where everyone is welcome.

Even dogs are welcome in the pub with a towel and treats on offer. You can even find Mel and Gid's four legged friend walking round. (Image: Grapes Inn Falmouth)

She added: "Going forward we will be planning some of our own events. We like to get our staff involved so we will give them the opportunity to arrange events too.

"Like us, each member of staff is new to The Grapes too, and I think each one of them have done an amazing job! I don't think I could've asked for a better team at all. From us not knowing each other and only meeting in person the day before we opened, to now feeling like we're a little Grapes Family. 

"We show the sports on Sky & BT, and we have pay-per-view boxing too. If there's a sport you'd like to watch, just come and ask us and we'll put it on, simple. 

"We'll look at fundraising events for local charities & causes and get the community involved. The community is something that matters deeply to us so it's important to have them involved in what we do. We run The Grapes the best way we can, for the community."

You can follow the Grapes Inn on social media for future events here: Facebook