Railway Steamer landlady who kept life on track during pandemic wins Shefford civic award

A Shefford landlady has received a special accolade for the way she has met the community’s needs during the pandemic.

Anne Hughes, who runs the Railway Steamer, has been awarded the Shefford Town Council Civic Award after she transformed her business to continually provide food and sustenance during the Covid-19 crisis.

Anne took over the Railway Steamer in December 2019 and was keen to get stuck in.

She started by refurbishing the entire pub and creating a warm and friendly atmosphere. Of course Covid-19 then hit, along with lockdown, and the pub was out of action.

Anne took it upon herself to do her bit to help the local community.

She began with helping the local elderly citizens with shopping trips whilst they were shielding, and soon began to realise that there were huge shortages at supermarkets and online grocery stores. That’s when the hard work really kicked in!

Anne said: “Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me. This award is dedicated to you all. I’m absolutely overwhelmed, it’s been a long hard road, not everything has gone right but we are trying so hard, thank you all for believing in me.”

Anne started an external grocery stall from the front of the pub, selling all of the goods that people couldn’t get their hands on – things such as flour, yeast, toilet rolls and much more. This gave local people the opportunity to get much-needed necessities, and without having to go anywhere near a supermarket

Now fully open, the Railway Steamer has transformed into a family, friendly local entertainment venue which offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, music nights, pub quizzes, bingo, children’s activities and more. Big screens are both inside and outside for live sports, pool table and dart board are bookable by the hour and you can even order afternoon tea!

For more details email: [email protected] or call 01462 814414 to book your table. Follow them on Facebook @railwaysteamer.co.uk> Do you know someone making a difference during the pandemic? Email [email protected]