The original: Landlord John Andrews fixing the new pub in place

A Winkfield pub has reinstated its previous name – to stop customers getting lost!

Now called ‘The Original Slug and Lettuce’ (previously The Winkfield for just 8 years), the pub was the probably the first ‘Slug and Lettuce’ pub in the country in the early 1980s and many customers still refer to it as such, so when John and Jill Andrews took over last year and continually tried to explain where the Winkfield was to telephone enquirers who asked ‘Where is The Winkfield in relation to The Slug and Lettuce?’ they decided to try and restore its previous name.

John said: “Of course, that wasn’t its original name – which was The Queen’s Head – but we wanted to return it to the name which was most recognised in the area. If we’d wanted to call it something relevant to the village – perhaps we should have called it ‘The Cobblers’ as a local cobbler used the front of the pub to ply his trade for many years – but we thought that wouldn’t be appropriate!”

The Original Slug and Lettuce is owned by Swindon-based Arkell’s Brewery who bought it three years ago. Managing director James Arkell, said: “Some pubs try and change their names to change their image, but locals are creatures of habit and seldom 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, so we were delighted to restore its most popular name and help John to maintain the business as a good, old-fashioned pub with good pub food.”

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If you’re looking for something to do at the weekend, take a walk on the wild side and discover the source of the Thames near Kemble.

At the head of the river: Thameshead Inn landlords Nicola King and Ben Lord

That’s what new landlords at The Thameshead Inn Nicola King and Ben Lord have done – even though Ben lost part of a leg in a motorbike accident five year’s ago.

“I think it must be one of the most popular but unsung tourist destinations in Gloucestershire,” said Nicola. “Almost half our lunchtime trade is regularly made up of visitors seeking sustenance before or after walking to the source of England’s most famous river – in a meadow about quarter of a mile away from the pub. And each week, accommodation bookings are accompanied by enquiries about how long it will take to walk to the source.”

Yet the source of the Thames is well disguised – and unless it’s been very rainy, all you’ll see is are bubbles from a small pile of rocks in the middle of a field. This is the start of the Thames path, a National Trail, which is clearly signed using the distinctive National Trail acorn symbol alongside its name.

James Arkell, managing director at Arkell’s Brewery which owns the Thameshead Inn, said: “The walk to the source of the Thames only takes ten to fifteen minutes from The Thameshead, and it’s a peaceful spot – very different from further down the Thames as the river widens and the surrounding countryside is swallowed up by towns and cities.”

James explained that anyone wanting to do the 184 mile Thames Walk can be fed and watered along at least half it’s length by an Arkell’s pub.

“We’ve got pubs in Cricklade, Lechlade, Eynsham , Oxford and Windsor, all close to the Thames,” he said.

Having moved from their previous pub, The Horse and Groom in Malmesbury, and bringing most of their staff to The Thameshead with them, Nicola and Ben are keen to make it easy for customers to discover the source for themselves.

“The path is easy to walk – even for Ben with his false leg,” said Nicola. “We’re designing special maps for visitors to follow – and perhaps our chef can even cook up a special ‘source’ sauce for our menu.”

More about The Thameshead

In response to customer demand, Arkell’s Brewery has begun bottling its most popular real ale, 3Bs, in addition to producing it in casks.

Crate to be back: Brian Saunders of Magnum Wine (l) and Nick Arkell of Arkell's Vintners

The first packs of the new 330ml bottles, rolled off Arkell’s bottling line at the brewery and straight into Magnum Wines’ off licence in Old Town, Swindon today, the first retailer to receive the new bottles.

“We already produce Kingsdown, Moonlight and the award-winning Bee’s Organic Ale in 500ml bottles, but we were increasingly being asked to produce our 3Bs in the smaller, and currently very popular, 330cl bottles, which are easier to hold and fit neatly into a domestic fridge,” said Nick Arkells, Sales Director at Swindon-based Arkell’s brewery.

With an ABV of 4%, Arkell's Best Bitter Beer, as it was originally known, was first brewed in 1910 and has been affectionately known as BBB or 3B by customers ever since. It is a superb, amber brew with a very distinctive taste and a sweet scent of malt beneath the hops.

Manager at Magnum Wines in Swindon, Brian Saunders, said: “We already stock bottles of Arkell’s Moonlight and Kingsdown Beers and it’s great to expand customer choice by offering 3Bs as well.”

Bottles of Arkell’s 3Bs are available in all Arkell’s pubs and in selected beer retailers across Swindon and Wiltshire.

Steve Bellamy Departs

After 35 years of driving his dray around Swindon and Wiltshire, Arkell’s drayman Steve Bellamy is saying ‘Adiós’ to Arkell’s Ales and ‘Hola’ to Sangria as he leaves the UK to make a new life for him and his wife Pam in Spain.

“We’re selling up lock, stock and barrel’ and leaving our grown-up family behind in Swindon,” he says. “We’ve decided to enjoy our retirement in the sun – and our sons are already making plans to visit us there. The only payment we’ll ask for is a pack of 3Bs from home!”

Over the last 35 years, Steve’s driven hundreds of thousands of miles from Swindon up to Cheltenham and down as far as Windsor to make sure the beer’s delivered on time and in the peak of quality – and he’s seen a few changes in that time.

“The biggest change was at the brewery about ten years’ after I’d joined when lifts were installed to hoist the barrels into the drays,” says Steve. “Before that we lifted them all up by hand, and I doubt I’d have lasted 35 years if that was still being done today – it was very hard work – especially in the wet when barrels were rolling all over the place.”

In recognition of all his work, Arkell’s Brewery threw a special party for Steve last week. Brewery managing director, James Arkell, said: “Being a drayman is one of the toughest jobs at the brewery with its barrel lifting, and long hours spent in the drivers seat and Steve’s done a fantastic job for us over the years. In the (very) old days, drayman were rewarded for a successful delivery with a pint of beer from the landlord of each pub – but these days it’s more likely to be a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich – and we hope he doesn’t suffer bacon withdrawal symptoms when he arrives in Spain.”

Steve explains his decision to move abroad: “Everyone rushes around so much in England. We’re looking for a more relaxed life – and after many years on the open roads of England – I think I deserve it.”

Landlady bars rabbits from garden

Run Rabbit Run: Julia Megarry and her new-look garden at the Fox and Hounds

Local builders and construction engineers at Donnington, near Newbury, are warned not to leave any of their old equipment lying about, because landlady Julia Megarry is on the look-out for anything that will make a raised flowerbed to thwart her rabbit problem!

Julia, who runs The Fox and Hounds faces a running battle with the local rabbit population, who over the years have eaten their way through some of her more colourful low-growing flower displays – so this year’s she’s trebled the number of ‘raised’ flower beds by using anything that she can find and painting it red.

“We’ve recently had bypass construction engineers working across the road and they left a broken wheelbarrow behind, so I collected and cleaned it before painting it the same red as all the others I’ve found abandoned over the last few years,” she said.

James Arkell, managing director at Arkell’s Brewery which owns the pub, said: “Julia has been an Arkell’s landlady for nearly 10 years and she’s always made a striking statement at her pub. Squeezed between the new Newbury bypass and the old M4 Newbury road, her flowers and colours make the pub easily visible from the new road above.”

Julia added: “I’ve also picked up old rubbish bins and tin baths and painted them too. It all makes for a lovely display this time of year – and best of all I’m no longer providing a running buffet for Peter Rabbit and his friends.”

More about The Fox and Hounds

Arkell’s celebrates new ‘Rail Ale’

First class ale: Paul Hinsley of First Great Western, with Nick Arkell and Barry Hunt of Arkell's Brewery on Swindon Station.

Arkell’s 3Bs is back where it belongs – on Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Great Western Railway Lines!

Barry Hunt and Nicholas Arkell from Arkell’s Brewery celebrated the stocking of Arkell’s cans of 3Bs on First Great Western trains by thanking Paul Hinsley, head of catering at First Great Western.

Standing by the London Paddington intercity this week at Swindon Station, Paul Hinsley, said that Arkell’s is the first guest beer of this new initiative – and it seemed fitting that this should be the case in view of its local history.

Arkell’s Brewery was established by John Arkell in 1843 as an offshoot of the family farm, on the outskirts of Swindon, at around the same time as Isambard Kingdom Brunel began building his locomotive and carriage works for the Great Western Railway. John Arkell’s first brews helped to quench the thirsty and tired workers after a long day in the locomotive sheds. Now, Kingsdown Brewery in Stratton has even outlived Brunel’s famous works in Swindon.

Arkell’s Ales were regularly stocked on the mainline trains until the 1970s, and sold in many of the capital’s railway stations, including Paddington. But as national franchise operations pushed out the local food and drink operators, so local beers and foods began to disappear.

James Arkell said: “We’re absolutely delighted that First Great Western have made a bold move to highlight local produce, and we can’t think of a better way to promote this than through stocking Arkell’s 3Bs. Perhaps we should rename it ‘Rail Ale’.”

More about Arkell's history

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New Plough landlord is in the best possible taste

Robert Kirker and his wife Shirley

Regulars at The Plough at Stratton may wonder what’s hit them when they walk into this Arkell’s pub and meet their new landlord.

Robert Kirker, who has just moved from his previous pub, The Thameshead, after 13 years behind that bar, is famous amongst his customers and friends for wearing very loud (and sometimes not very tasteful) Hawaiian shirts.

“It all started when a friend brought me back a Hawaiian shirt from holiday and I loved it,” said Robert. “Before, I was wearing white jackets and plain coloured shirts – but my new shirt felt fantastic, so now I’ve got a whole wardrobe of them and seldom wear anything else.”

Loud shirts aren’t Robert’s only mild eccentricity – each week he takes off on a one-day busman’s holiday visiting other people’s restaurants.

“Over the years I’ve been all over the UK, including The Fat Duck at Bray - recently heralded the best restaurant in the world, The Moody Goose in Bath and Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant at Claridges, to name but a few.”

George Arkell at Arkell’s Brewery, which owns both The Plough and The Thameshead, said: “We’re delighted that Robert has taken over at The Plough, after 13 years he’s one of Cirencester’s longest serving landlords and certainly one of the area’s most colourful – his traveller’s tales always keep us amused and it’s wonderful to hear of his dining experiences at such famous restaurants.”

Robert is a chef himself and at home in The Plough, he serves up traditional favourites such as sausages and mash or lamb chops to his customers.

“My hobby is fine wine and fine dining – but I run a pub – and a good pub is one that doesn’t mistake itself for a restaurant. If you want a gastro pub, with too many tables and not enough elbow room at the bar - don’t come to The Plough. What we serve is really tasty, lovingly prepared pub food – but because I regularly eat in fantastic restaurants, I’ve got very high standards – except, perhaps when it comes to the matter of my shirts.”

More about The Plough

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Swapping a life of service - to service the Services

'Evening all!': New tenants at the Duke Hotel, Julie and Neil Hannis

It’s a far cry from the city beat as former policeman Neil Hannis and his wife Julie swap the streets of Nottingham for the leafy pastures of South Wiltshire after taking over at The Duke Hotel at Hilmarton, near Lyneham, this week.

But Neil’s looking forward to relinquishing his former career in favour of looking after his new customers.

“It’s certainly much more of ‘The Good Life’ here, than where we were living,” says Neil. “In Nottingham our house faced a 24 hour taxi rank, here we wake up to a field of sheep. I enjoyed my time in the police force, but now we’re keen to provide a different sort of service to our customers, and with RAF Lyneham so near, you could say we’re now providing a service to The Services.”

Wiltshire might be new to Neil, but for his wife Julie, who worked as a teacher in Nottingham and is a trained cook, it’s a return to her home ground. Julie grew up at nearby Burghclere and spent many summers at The Duke when it was run by her Aunt.

“I’m really looking forward to making the pub our own, and getting back into the kitchen again after years in the classroom,” she said. “It’s such a busy place that on our first day we had so many customers we ended up sharing our own food as we didn’t want to turn them away! Luckily, we’d brought enough ploughman’s ingredients for an army – or perhaps I should say a squadron!”

James Arkell, managing director at Arkell’s Brewery, which owns The Duke, said: “It’s really wonderful to welcome Julie and Neil into the pub, especially as Julie is already a familiar face. I hope they settle well into the rural life, it should certainly be more peaceful than the mean streets of Nottingham."

But Neil isn’t yet quite convinced about the merits of the countryside: “I took the dog for a walk this morning, and a herd of cows started to chase us. Still, Julie tells me that I’ll get used to it.”

More about The Duke Hotel

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