"THE RAILWAY", HINCKLEY : A STEAMIN' BILLY SUCCESS STORY.

Today I visited the 'Railway Inn' in Hinckley, also now known as 'Steamin' Billy', for the first time since its re-opening last year. What a difference a year makes.

The overall ambience is much improved, with the conservatory now accommodating a very pleasant seating area. The rest of the interior is also much smarter and the general look and feel of the place has been improved very much. My 'Steamin' Billy' bitter was very nice but the biggest development has to be the food - very good indeed. Meals of good quality, well presented and service with a smile; what more can a customer ask for ?

Having not been here for the best part of a year, I will now make sure that the 'Railway' is back on my list of Hinckley pubs to frequent.

HINCKLEY'S "DOG & GUN" FOR SALE.

Having a look at the Marston's website today I discovered that another Hinckley pub is now up for sale.

The "Dog & Gun" isn't one of the town's more desirable hostelries and I've only ever been there once - that was more than enough. It generally doesn't open until late evening and then stays open until the early hours of the morning; quite who are its regular customers is a question better left unasked, let alone unanswered.

Nonetheless, it appears that Marston's are now 'inviting offers' for this pub, though what takers there'll get is anyone's guess. It's not well placed, being on a busy junction and it's also on the edge of what passes for the town centre, away from casual passers by and also from the proposed town centre development. I don't think it's one I'd be interested in !

MARSTON'S TRIES TO SELL HINCKLEY 'HOLYWELL INN' TWICE !

Following the rumours that a number of Hinckley pubs are listed for disposal by the Marston's company, I heard yesterday that there seems to be some major nastiness in play too.

New tenants have moved in to the 'Holywell Inn' very recently, sadly for them on the appalling 'Retail Agreement' as far as I understand. However, it's also the case that Marston's has been in touch with a former pub landlord with a suggestion that he might be interested in taking the pub on - imagine the shock for the new tenants when he turned up to have a look around, which he did last week !

Marston's clearly have no scruples when it comes to screwing their managers or tenants, whatever agreements they may have signed. It's also the case that the company is looking to off-load around 200 pubs to an investment company in the near future, the ultimate intention apparently being to turn these outlets into corner shops, mini-supermarkets and so on, and it seems that they may well be prepared to sell these premises from under the feet of their tenants.

You have been warned.

HINCKLEY PUBS ON THE MARKET ?

Since its 'wash and brush up' by Louise, the 'Greyhound' in Hinckley has been an improved pub and the beer has been very drinkable. The pub has remained on the market and the word now is that it's been sold, though to whom is shrouded in mystery. Louise was certainly interested but she's keeping tight-lipped on the situation.

In the meantime, the temporary bar manager from the 'Greyhound', Kate, has moved to the 'Union', another run-down local pub. Exactly how she's arrived there seems to be a confused story, but it appears that the 'Union' may now be on Marstons' egregious 'Retail Agreement'. What the future holds for the pub is anyone's guess.

More mystery surrounds Marstons plans for other Hinckley pubs. It's been said that several are now on the list for disposal, including the 'Holywell Inn', the 'Sportsman' and the 'Black Horse Inn', though there doesn't appear to be any confirmation of this. We can only wait to see what happens.

'GREYHOUND' RE-OPENS.

After being closed for a little over a week, the 'Greyhound' in Hinckley re-opened last night as a significantly improved hostelry.

 

While it remains up for sale, Marston's finally appear to have realised that no one was going to be interested in buying a dirty pub with undrinkable beer and frequented by alcoholics, drug addicts and criminals. Their answer to this conundrum has been to send the previous management packing and to bring in the tenant of a successful local house together with an experienced temporary manager. After a week of cleaning, including resolving such issues as filthy pipes and a glass washer clogged up with mould and filth, and getting rid of beer so old that it had separated in the barrel, the pub is now back in business and promises to be a much better place than it's been for quite some time. The undesirable element has gone and won't be returning.

 

Last night, customers were treated to friendly service and good beer, for the first time in a while. Long may it continue.

HINCKLEY 'GREYHOUND' CLOSING !?

After being up for sale since March, the 'Greyhound' in Hinckley is apparently about to be closed, at least for a short time. Exactly what's going on is not yet clear but it seems that Marston's, the owners, have finally had enough of the recent manager and sent her and her family packing. The word is that it will be closed from Wednesday but it's also rumoured that a replacement has been lined up so the doors may well re-open within a day or two.

 

This used to be a quite popular hostelry but has declined over the years, dramatically so in the last few months. The quality of the beer has been inconsistent to say the least and the overall ambience unappealing; there have even been reports of some less savoury customers snorting drugs from the tables in full public view and one former regular and barman is currently residing 'at Her Majesty's pleasure'. The pub is in a dire state of repair and desperately needs renovation, though the potential costs of this on top of the asking price of £265,000 (unchanged since March), when coupled with the lack of trade, seems to have deterred all potential purchasers.

 

What will happen to this very old pub is now anyone's guess but if anyone does come along and buy it, they're going to have a big job on their hands trying to restore it to former glories.

 

 

QUEEN'S HEAD - BEST PUB IN HINCKLEY, BY MILES !

The 'Queen's Head' in Hinckley is, without doubt, the best real pub in the town. While I've had occasional issues with it, what can't be denied is that it looks like and behaves like a proper English pub.

 

Having been voted the Hinckley and Bosworth CAMRA 'Pub of the Year' for 2013 it has much to live up to but it is doing so very well indeed. The regular turnaround of real ales is a great attraction while its support for the very recently established 'Elliswood Brewery' in the town has already caused excitement.

 

Phil and Dawn, plus Dawn's mum Shirley, do most of the work and the beer is always superb; it also comes from every corner of the country and is likely to satisfy all but the most pernickety of real ale buffs. If you're in the area, give it a try - you are unlikely to be disappointed.

SARAH MANSFIELD AT WILLEY

I recently spotted a review by someone who'd had a bad experience at the 'Sarah Mansfield' and I thought it would be only right to make some more positive comments.

 

I visited this pub, off the beaten track and in a minute village close to the A5 just north of Rugby, last week to meet some old friends whom I've known for many years. We meet every few months at the same place and have done so for quite some time. Although there have been several changes of management over this period and, it must be said, the odd glitch, what can't be faulted is the quality of the beer, food and general service.

 

Last week, I had a couple of pints of beautiful 'Abbot ale' and we enjoyed a couple of very nice rib eye steaks plus a well cooked and presented rainbow trout. The service was friendly and efficient, the beer and food very good. Since we were last there, there have been a few enhancements to the furnishings but this remains a quintessentially English village pub; it's a really good place to visit and highly recommended, at least by my friends and I.

ELLISWOOD BREWERY A BIG HIT AT 'QUEEN'S HEAD' IN HINCKLEY !

Last Thursday, Hinckley pub-goers were able to sample the first beer from a new brewery in the town for over 100 years. The "Elliswood" brewery has been founded by 2 step-brothers and their first brew was trialled at the Queen's Head on  Upper Bond Street from 5:00pm.

 

In the absence of the most active members of CAMRA, who had travelled to Rutland for a beer festival, there was little early competition to get a pint, though even arriving at 5:03 wasn't good enough to be first to the trough; I was only second. "Just One More" was aptly named as everyone who tried it had at least just one more; some of us managed to order just one more of "Just One More" several times !

 

"Just One More" is an amber beer, hoppy, bitter and very drinkable at 4.2%. It had apparently been planned to be 4.1% but the brew had other ideas; I don't think anyone argued about it, they just enjoyed the very nice ale. One of the brewers, Tracy Ellis, turned up to find out how his beer was being received and must have gone away very happy; the 9 gallon barrel was sold out by 8:15pm and many CAMRA members who rushed back from Rutland to try a sample were disappointed to miss out. I had told Phil, the landlord, that one barrel wouldn't be enough but .......... :-(

 

"Just One More" will. hopefully, be back on sale in the Queen's Head next Thursday and another brew, "Thirst in Line", is scheduled to be available at the Market Bosworth Rail Ale Festival between 26th and 28th July. Here's hoping the old liver holds out !

HINCKLEY "GREYHOUND" IN A SORRY STATE.

Oh dear, oh dear !

 

There was a time when the "Greyhound" in Hinckley was a pub worth drinking in but no more. Admittedly it's up for sale, Marston's having decided it's of insufficient value to them, but the current working arrangements are a complete mess. The manager comes and goes while anyone and everyone seems to wander in and out behind the bar; there have been sightings of one or two of these characters snorting cocaine from the tables and how the takings and stock are ever reconciled has to be a mystery. Last night, the place was very quiet, many former customers having already deserted it.

 

Last night, the manager was absent, then appeared for a few minutes before wandering off into town to 'get pissed'. The beer seemed to be of no interest with the Pedigree definitely not right; the Hobgoblin was  unavailable and then the bitter went too. Although the manager returned, though not to work, and a new barrel of bitter was connected, I opted for the Guinness as the most likely of the beers to  be drinkable and was even disappointed to realise that they only have the 'extra-cold' variety. Why so many drinks now have to be served in this freezing fashion is another mystery, as it prevents the drinker from actually tasting what's in their glass and is nothing but a stupid fad invented to screw more money out of the punter.

 

It's clear that the brewery has lost interest in this pub and is just waiting for some unsuspecting fool to cough up the asking price of £265,000; by the time this happens, I suspect the place may actually be closed due to lack of management, customers and beer. I don't think I'll be going there again.

THE 'RAILWAY' IS OPEN BUT ............................... .

As previously announced by the 'Steamin; Billy' brewery, the 'Railway' re-opened yesterday evening selling an assortment of hand-pumped beers plus a variety of continental lagers. So far, so good.

 

The works on the pub appear to be far from completed and, frankly, it looked a bit of a mess, though this view didn't seem to be shared by most of the others present; perhaps I'm being a bit unreasonable, but the decor seemed to me to be all over the place and much of the work which has been done seems to have been a bit pointless while more pressing matters seem to have been ignored. I really didn't like it very much.

 

Worse, while the beer prices were quite reasonable and even a bit lower than in other local pubs, the lagers began at £3:50 and progressed upwards from there - this seems to be extortionate, though there is a loyalty card available for £2 which does knock 30p off of the price of some, but not all of the drinks. There seemed to be a bit of confusion behind the bar about what to charge as well as I and my companion received different treatment for each round bought; no doubt this was a 'glitch' that will be resolved, but it was pretty annoying.

 

From the look and feel of things, this will no longer be a locals' pub but will attempt to cater for a very different trade. One wonders if that trade will materialise.

STEAMIN' BILLY : TROUBLE AT THORNTON.

Steamin' Billy, the brewery company that's taken over my local, 'The Railway Hotel' in Hinckley, seems to be having problems.

 

The manager of one of its current outlets, the 'Steam Trumpet' in the Leicestershire village of Thornton, has apparently had enough and walked out. I've heard, though this is only hearsay, that he considers the deal he was on to be a total waste of time and effort. The brewery has now placed a notice on its website advising customers that opening hours are restricted for an indefinite period of time and there will be no food.

 

For anyone who's interested, the turnover is reported to have been around £212,000 in wet sales and £116,000 in food; the brewery are asking for an initial investment of approaching £40,000 for stock, f & f and so on, and the annual rent is £28,500. Nothing else is mentioned though, if the previous tenant's comments have been correctly reported, one might imagine there may be a little more to it.

 

We await further developments.