‘We didn’t know what to expect’: Peterborough’s first micropub celebrates 10th anniversary after award-winning decade
The Bumble Inn opened its doors in June 2016
A Peterborough micropub is celebrating its 10th anniversary having overcome challenges including Covid and soaring overheads over the past decade.
The Bumble Inn, in Westgate, became the city’s first micropub when it opened in June 2016.
Over the past decade, the Bumble Inn has been named Peterborough’s CAMRA Pub of the Year on multiple occasions, most recently in 2024.
Reflecting on the pub’s 10-year anniversary, co-founder Andrew told the Peterborough Telegraph: “I don’t think we knew what to expect when we opened, but we thought it was going to be good.
“Peterborough didn’t have a micropub and we were the first one. Initially it went very well up until Covid came along.
“Since Covid everybody’s struggled, but then 10 years later we’re still here, so how bad can it be?”
Offering an ever-changing selection of five real ales and two craft kegs, the pub has earned a loyal customer base over the past decade and opens seven days a week.
With its distinct bright yellow exterior, the pub also offers customers outdoor seating for use over the summer months.
A four-time CAMRA Pub of the Year winner, the Bumble Inn’s small size allows for a more intimate experience than some of its competitors.
“Micropubs in general offer a more focused place to relax. If you go to a micropub, you’re 99.9% likely to receive a good quality real ale.
“As you can hear, there are always folks sitting in here chatting, so you can quite often sit and meet people you’ve never met before,” Andrew adds.
“Or, if you like, you can sit in the corner quietly and mind your own business.”
With 366 UK pubs having closed their doors in 2025 due to rising costs and changing consumer habits, Andrew hopes that the Bumble Inn can continue to thrive over the next decade.
“It’d be nice to think that business in general will recover [to pre-Covid levels].
“It’s hard to be too hopeful with the world in the state that it is, but if we can still be here in 10 years selling good beer and with a good variety of customers, that would be a win.”