LEE Keirman has made the Boot Inn at Flyford Flavell stand out from the crowded pub scene.

Originally from Lancashire, Lee has been involved with pubs for over 20 years and initially trained and worked as a wheelwright and says he fell into the hospitality business almost by accident.

After moving down to Worcestershire in 1999, Lee worked at the Fish in Wixford and the New Inn in Bromsgrove.

Eventually he was offered the lease of The Boot and decided to take the plunge.

He said: “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it but I told my parents about it and they said they wanted to move down here in retirement, in the end they are still working here.

“That was back in 2005 and I’ve been here ever since.”

Lee, 49, says standing out from the crowd and being slightly different is what has earned his pub the praise it gets, including a five-star hygiene award and a five-star AA rating, something usually reserved for only the top 10 per cent of hotels.

The family-run pub has also been given a TripAdvisor certificate of excellence.

On the subject, Lee said: “We’re always looking at new ideas and having something different.

“We do steak cooked on a volcanic stone which is an idea I got from being in Spain.

“We also, in the middle of the recession, made the bold move to increase the quality of our food and drink when most pubs were lowering the price and standard.

“It was a gamble, but I decided I’d rather go down fighting than wonder what would have happened.

“All those different, new ideas really help you stand out, especially in a time where pubs are closing.”

Lee says his team’s high standards are what makes the pub a success, adding: “We have a great group of staff, some of them have been here since we opened.

“Meeting people who like the pub is really rewarding and it makes a big difference.”