Delight for Kettering social club's David as he wins top bar manager award

A bar manager who has helped a Kettering social club go from strength to strength has won a top national award.

David Bellamy was crowned club bar manager of the year by Club Mirror magazine last month for his efforts at Midland Band Social Club.

He couldn’t make the awards ceremony as he was in Blackpool picking out future entertainment acts for the Hallwood Road venue – finding out he’d won on his phone.

The 55-year-old said: "I got a message saying ‘you’ve only gone and won it’.

"I was so excited – I really didn’t expect to win it.”

David was a DJ for 26 years and once ran the pavilion at Wicksteed Park before taking on the role of Midland Band Social Club’s bar manager almost six years ago.

During his tenure he’s introduced more real ales and the club has won a regional Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) award for two years running as well as featuring in CAMRA’s 2024 Good Beer Guide.

David has also upped the club’s entertainment offering and has already lined up a number of gigs for 2024, including local bands and tribute acts.

Midland Band Social Club was also nominated as the Club & Institute Union’s club of the month in July last year.

The club, which was established in 1896, offers pool, skittles and darts and food at weekends. It is so popular it has in excess of 1,000 members with 200 people on a waiting list to join.

David said: “We’ve embraced change because you’ve got to move forward with the times.

"We welcome families and younger people and that’s half of it – we’ve got members from aged 18 all the way up to people in their 90s.

"I have got a great team behind me and they all work really hard. I really couldn’t do it without them. The future is looking bright.”

A Midland Band Social Club committee spokesman said: "A strong working relationship between the bar manager David Bellamy and the management committee has resulted in the progression of the club.”