Tavern landlords link licensing hours with train timetables
Full steam ahead!: David and Mags Wicksey studying the train timetables outside The Tavern
The Tavern at Kemble won’t be asking for late night opening when it applies for new its new license - what’s more important for new landlords David and Mags Wicksey is fitting in with National Rail timetables.
David and Mags are determined to become train spotters, so they're open for tired travellers getting off at Kemble mainline station, as this Arkell’s pub is right next door.
“We don’t want to open all hours, but we do want to offer commuters and visitors a reviving pint of Arkell’s 3Bs,” said Mags, who’s lived in the village for more that 25 years.
Her husband, David, agrees. “Kemble’s a really busy station so we want to match our opening hours with the times of the London and Bristol trains."
David’s worked at The Tavern as a barman for six years, and was delighted to get the opportunity to take as landlord over with his wife, Mags, this week.
“I’ve lived in the village all my life. Our children were born here, my parents are in the village and my grandparents are in the cemetery, so I know Kemble inside out – and I know the importance of the railway station to the village – it’s as close as you’ll get to an ‘entrance’ to the Cotswolds, and we want to make it as inviting as possible.”
Mags has wasted no time in sprucing up the pub, and put her hanging baskets up before David had even had a chance to put the bed together.
George Arkell is delighted that this local couple has taken over at The Tavern. “The Tavern is a unique pub, in a fabulous spot – and an important amenity for the village too. David and Mags are train spotting with a purpose - it’s not numbers they’re interested in – but arrival times.”
More about The Tavern at Kemble
Landlady rides off from White Horse after 18 years
Taking over the reigns: Arkell's director George Arkell (left), with Rob Owens (new landlord) and Maureen Batty
Well known Woolstone landlady and national chair of The Licensed Trade Charity, Maureen Batty, has pulled her last pint at her pub The White Horse, Woolstone, after selling to nearby Arkell’s Brewery for close to £1 million.
George Arkell, director at Arkell’s Brewery, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have purchased The White Horse, which falls naturally within our tied estate footprint. The pub is in the centre of Woolstone village and has accommodation. It’s well known for its food, and is perfectly placed for visitors to Wiltshire’s famous White Horse, after which the pub is named, just a mile away along The Ridgeway.”
Maureen, and husband Ray, who have run this popular and picturesque pub for 19 years, are moving to Sussex to be closer to their daughter, but having been such stalwarts of the Licensed Victuallers Association, they still intend to work hard for The Licenced Trade Charity, where Maureen is chair, which cares for those who have worked or are working in the licensed drinks trade, an industry which employ's over 1.6 million in the UK.
“We wish Ray and Maureen a long and fulfilling retirement,” said George. “They have both worked tirelessly for the industry for many years, and knowing Maureen unbounded energy and enthusiasm, I am sure they are planning to continue.”
Taking over the reigns of The White Horse are Rob and Kim Owens, experienced landlords who have moved down from their previous tenancy near Betws y Coed in North Wales, to be nearer to Kim’s family who live in Swindon.
This is the second pub to have been purchased by Arkell’s this year. The Brewery also purchased The King’s Arms Hotel in Chipping Campden in late April.
More about The White Horse at Woolstone
Arkell’s Summer Ale Has Great Legs
Summer's coming!: Crown Inn barman Tim Howells hands Don Bracher, head brewer at Arkell's Brewery, the first pint of Summer Ale 2005
Arkell’s Head Brewer Don Bracher took time out from brewing to down a pint from the first cask of this year’s Arkell’s Summer Ale – and ‘donned’ his special summer shirt and shorts in celebration as the sun came out.
Summer Ale was first brewed in 1994 and was one of the brewery’s earliest ‘seasonal’ ales, launched in response to demands from loyal Arkell’s drinkers for a lighter ale suitable for drinking during the warm Summer months.
Since then it’s become one of the breweries most enduring and best-loved seasonal ales, with a clean and refreshing taste which, when served cool, makes a perfect alternative to lager.
Arkell’s Summer Ale is a 4% alcohol by volume light-coloured beer brewed from specially selected malted barley and continental Styrian Golding hops. The Styrian hops give the beer a pleasant hop flavour without the characteristic bitterness of a typical pint of Arkell’s beer.
James Arkell, managing director, said: “Despite its light colour, Summer Ale has got good legs – just like our Head Brewer, and it certainly offers more taste than the shirt he’s wearing.”
Arkell’s Summer Ale is delivered to Arkell’s pubs at the beginning of May and is available throughout the Summer.
Tawny Owl’s Parliament Room voted tops for Election
North Swindon will have a new polling station, with refreshments on tap, for the upcoming General Election. As the population grows in Taw Hill, Swindon Council is using Arkell’s Pub The Tawny Owl as a polling station, when the pub’s busy function room, The Parliament Room, will be taken over on May 5th to provide a local polling station for Taw Hill Residents.
Taw Hill residents used to have to travel more than two miles to Haydon Community Centre, on Thames Avenue, but as resident numbers have increased the council needed to find a suitable venue for a polling station closer to the area.
Arkell’s Brewery is delighted that the pub is being used for such an important event. Managing director, James Arkell, said: “We’re very happy to help Swindon Council, and consider it an honour to be able to provide a suitable centre for local polling to take place. There is already a polling station in the Winners Lounge of the Arkell’s Stand at Swindon Town Football Club so this isn’t the first time that Arkell’s has been involved in oiling the wheels of local democracy, helping Swindon’s elections to take place.”
Tawny Owl landlord Richard Crickmar is also very happy to help, although he’s not looking forward to the early start required that morning.
“We have to be open at 6.30am for the voting to start,” he said. “But I expect later in the day some voters will visit the bar for a pint and a liberal debate on who’s going to win. My conservative estimate is that we’ll have a few more customers than usual, but all our staff will be labouring away to keep everyone happy. As you can see, The Tawny Owl is completely non-partisan and we welcome everyone, whatever their politics!”
More about The Tawny Owl
Chef urges customers to eat at home this summer
A taste of Spain: Landlady Nyra Stepp and chef Tony Powell in The Rose & Crown's restaurant
“Don’t eat Paella in Palma or Gazpacho in Granada this summer, save yourself the airfare and each delicious Spanish meals in Wiltshire,” new chef at The Rose and Crown, Ashbury near Swindon is urging the hotel’s customers.
Tony Powell has taken over in the kitchens at Arkell’s pub The Rose and Crown after more than four years working for the Manuel family at the famous Cross Hands Hotel near Chipping Sodbury.
“Properly prepared Mediterranean food tastes as delicious in the rural English countryside as it does under the hot Spanish sun,” he explains. “And I’m determined to entice and encourage customers to discover this fabulous food for themselves.”
The Rose and Crown’s landlady, Nyra Stepp, is excited about her new chef. “It’s wonderful to have some fresh ideas and menus at The Rose and Crown,” she said. “We’re not planning to radically change our menus overnight, just introduce some of Tony’s Spanish specialties over the next few months so our customers can make up their own minds.”
But Tony is a little more determined to change customer’s eating habits than Nyra suspects. He added: “I want to run Spanish theme nights introducing particular delicacies that are likely to be new to our regulars. A great menu is not just about delicious food using fresh produce, it’s also about challenging tastebuds.”
More about The Rose & Crown
Hempleman Adams explores new loos
Back at The Freke: David Hempleman-Adams at the unveiling with Arkell's Chairman Peter Arkell (centre) and Managing Director James Arkell (right)
The first man to scale the World’s seven highest peaks was given another challenge last week. The World’s greatest explorer, David Hempleman Adams, agreed to open the new disabled loos at Arkell’s pub The Freke Arms, near Highworth, Swindon.
The Freke Arms holds special memories for this Swindon-born explorer as he celebrated his stag night there more than fifteen years ago.
James Arkell, managing director of Arkell’s Brewery, said: “We are absolutely delighted that David agreed to open these loos. He more than anyone else knows that whatever difficulties you have to face in your life, whether its finding somewhere to go on a mountain, or getting a wheelchair into a public loo, access and comfort are beyond price.”
Over the last few years Arkell’s has been regularly adding disabled loos to its estate of pubs, long before the Disability Discrimination Act became law. Currently around a third of the brewery’s estate of just over 100 pubs now boasts full disabled access, with more Arkell’s pubs under renovation.
“It can be difficult to add new loos to some of our pubs which are old and sometimes in conservation areas, “ explained James. “But where we can, we find a way to install full access for all our customers.”
David Hempleman Adams, who now lives at Box near Chlppenham, expressed his pleasure at being back at The Freke Arms after so many years. “Arkell’s and my family go back a very long way,” he said. “They brew good beer and we drink it. It’s good to see that a pint of Arkell’s is now available to everyone.”
More about The Freke Arms
Hempleman Adams helps launch The Great Arkell’s Adventure
The Greatest Arkell's Adventurer: David Hempleman-Adams
This summer, Arkell’s pubs and venues across the South West will be taking part in the biggest ‘pub quiz’ the brewery has ever organised, when The Great Arkell’s Adventure is launched.
From May Day Bank Holiday Weekend free ‘Adventure Maps’ will be available at every Arkell’s pub, or directly from the brewery and Arkell’s is inviting everyone to enjoy a summer solving more than 100 clues, one of which is located at every participating pub.
David Hempleman Adams, an old friend of Arkell’s, one of the world's greatest explorers and currently the only person to have completed the Explorers' Grand Slam of climbing the highest peak in each of the world’s seven continents helped Arkell’s Brewery to launch The Great Arkell’s Adventure at The Freke Arms near Hannington, Swindon – where he held his stag night more than sixteen years’ ago.
James Arkell, managing director of Arkell’s Brewery said: “You don’t have to be an intrepid explorer like David, the Great Arkell’s Adventure is about getting everyone out and about this summer, discovering facts and areas of the South and South West of England they didn’t know before. And you won’t need huskies or sleighs to carry your food around either – most Arkell’s pubs serve good food and great beer, which will give you the sustenance you’ll need to solve the next clue!
Some of the clues are straightforward – and some are not, but the only way participants will know is by visiting each pub. Successful super sleuths will have the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to The Munich Beer Festival, The ‘Oktoberfest,’ which runs from 17th September to 2nd October 2005*, with runners-up being invited as special guests to tour Arkell’s Brewery, one of the finest examples of a Steam Brewery in the country.
Swindon-born David Hempleman Adams, who now lives at Box, Wiltshire is a great supporter of Arkell’s.
During a successful trip to conquer Everest in 1993 he said: “I would kill for fish and chips and a pint of Arkell’s”, and the thought of a pint of his home-town brewed real ale kept him going again after he achieved the longest British solo flight toward the North Pole. He told reporters after landing that he was looking forward to coming home for a pint of Swindon-brewed Arkell's beer.
He said: “My family and The Arkell’s family go back a long way – they brew beer and we drink it!”
He also added that whenever he speaks to audiences across the world – he always tells them that the secret of his success is a pint of 3Bs. “Of course, in America, they don’t understand what it is – making it even more of a secret ingredient!”
James added: “Every pub has more than a few fascinating facts about it - there are always a fair few stories to tell, but we hope that everyone enjoys our Great Arkell’s Adventure this Summer, and we’d love to hear more fascinating facts about the pubs, or villages or towns they’re in.”
Arkell's Adventure FAQs:
When does The Great Arkell’s Adventure start?: May Day Bank Holiday weekend
When does it finish?: 31 August 2005
Where can I get a map?: Maps will be available from every Arkell’s participating pub as well as the brewery towards the end of April
Completed Adventure Maps should be delivered, by post or in person to Margaret Leech at Arkell’s Brewery, Kingsdown, Stratton St Margaret Swindon SN2 7RU.
The final draw will be after that date and winners will be notified by post.
More about David Hempleman-Adams
“We don’t do posh nosh here” says Landlord
If it’s baguettes and sun-dried tomatoes you’re after, don’t go to The Talbot at Eynsham, because new landlord Trevor Johnson has introduced a whole new menu into this Arkell’s pub and it’s going down a storm.
Door-Stop Sandwiches, Bread and Dripping, home-made mashed potato, Steak and Ale Pie and fresh vegetables are all on The Talbot’s menu, and in February what is generally considered to be a quiet time of year for pubs, this pub has been bursting at the seams.
According to Trevor, it’s all about applying experience. “I’ve been in the pub business long enough to realise that you get out of a pub what you put in – and recognising when customers are looking for a change in their menu is all part of that.”
Trevor also admits to getting bored with producing the same food all the time. “I’ve done with lasagne and chicken Kiev for the moment – we’re no longer serving foreign food. This is a beautiful country pub, serving wonderful real ale, so let’s have the traditional, fresh food that goes with it.”
His customers certainly seem to agree with him and since re-opening the pub’s kitchens, The Talbot’s trade has shot up as word of the unusual new menu gets out.
James Arkell, managing director of pub owner Arkell’s Brewery, thinks it’s not just the food that pulling in the punters: “We think that Trevor is one of the World’s greatest landlords and we’re thrilled that he’s come back, with his family, to take over this Arkell’s pub after some years running his own pub. His food is fantastic, and I’m not surprised that his customers agree. Over the last two decades, traditional English food, at reasonable prices, has been overlooked by pubs and restaurants that instead offer Mediterranean-style menus. More recently I’ve seen ‘fusion food’, which is presumably where chefs can’t make up their minds what they’re trying to achieve.
“With Trevor’s menus, I know what I’m getting and I know it’s going to be good.”
Trevor added: “I’m delighted to have taken over at The Talbot and can’t think of a more perfect place to run. It’s a lovely old building, only 100 yards from the River Thames with a big car park. But we’re so busy at the moment, I’m worried that when the season really kicks off, the car park won’t be big enough– perhaps lasagne better go back on the menu!”
In celebration of Arkell’s long association with Newbury Racecourse, the brewery has produced a specially labelled, new 33cl bottle of its award-winning Bees Organic Ale marking the Racecourse’s Centenary this year.
This is 26th year that Arkell’s has sponsored racing at Newbury, and the brewery is keen to help make the racecourse’s special year of celebration go with a bang.
“Arkell’s and Newbury Racecourse go back a long way, and we’ve watched with enormous pleasure as the crowds have increased and more fixtures have been added to this beautiful racecourse’s calender,” said Nick Arkell, director at Swindon-based Arkell’s Brewery.
“Racing at Newbury, which includes the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup in its portfolio of prestigious races, now offers one of the most exciting days out in the South West, best enjoyed this year with a few bottles of our Newbury Racecourse Centenary Organic Ale.”
Arkell's Newbury Ale is available at Newbury Racecourse and at selected Arkell's pubs across Newbury.
Arkell’s Brewery Day at Newbury this year will be on Friday 4th March.
Winkfield pub ‘Slugs’ it out for original name
All change: John and Jill Andrews outside The Winkfield
A Winkfield pub will be stepping back ten years in time if it’s new landlord gets his way.
John Andrews, new landlord at The Winkfield at Winkfield near Ascot wants to restore the pub’s original name – The Slug and Lettuce, but has hit on a problem – a national pub chain has adopted the pub’s name.
“We’re faced with a dilemma,” explains John.“We’re almost certain that this pub was the first Slug and Lettuce in the country – and we want the name back, because long standing customers still refer to it as The Slug and Lettuce, but we can’t call it that for legal reasons – so we’re considering calling it The Original Slug and Lettuce to get around the problem. That way our customers are happy, and so is everyone else!”
The Slug and Lettuce at Winkfield, was renamed The Winkfield ten years ago when its previous owner bought it and rant it as a ‘pub/restaurant ’. But when Wiltshire-based family brewer Arkell’s bought it two years ago the brewery was keen to restore the pub’s original atmosphere.
Brewery managing director James Arkell, explains: “It’s a wonderful pub with good food, but there are also wonderful restaurants in the area so when John and Jill Andrews took over and declared that they wanted to run a pub and not a restaurant, we agreed wholeheartedly. The idea to restore it’s original name came when John tried to explain where the Winkfield was to a telephone enquirer who said ‘Where is The Winkfield in relation to The Slug and Lettuce?’ and John had to explain it was The Slug and Lettuce.”
James adds: “Some pubs try and change their names to change their image, but it’s almost impossible to persuade locals to refer to a pub by its new name. A pub name is like a comfortable pair of shoes – you don’t change it willingly and everyone always prefers the old one!”
John says that the pub’s regulars are also keen to reunite the pub with its original name and Arkell’s is planning to work on new signs to welcome back the old pub name.
“As soon as the new signs are ready, we hope to rechristen The Original Slug and Lettuce with a few pints of Arkell’s real ale,” said John.
