Village pub’s store initiative brings cheer to shoppers
A VILLAGE pub is diversifying during the lockdown to offer groceries and household items, sold from its outside bar area.
Staff at The Cock Inn, in Mugginton, are back at work to reinstate a takeaway food and drink service, and set up a “village store” to give the community somewhere to shop locally for basic provisions.
The scheme, which is being repeated at one of the Cock Inn’s sister pubs, the Maynell Ingram Arms in Abbots Bromley, follows a free delivery offer that was made available to over-75s at the start of the lockdown.
The offer had to be halted when the restrictions tightened and the Cock Inn had to close but staff have been working hard on setting up a grocery store, which is open now. Howard Thacke, managing director of Berkeley Inns, said: “We’re extremely pleased to get our ‘village stores’ open at the Cock Inn and The Meynell Ingram re-instating our takeaways on a contactless and safe basis.
“We have now been able to extend our range to include basic groceries and household lines, saving people the need to visit supermarkets and support our local food and drink producers.
“We’d love to be fully open, as soon as possible, and will be once it is deemed safe. But we’re investing in various projects and initiatives to provide safe, and socially distanced dining and drinking for our customers”.
Takeaway on offer at The Cock Inn includes reheatable stone-baked pizzas, and pub-menu meals, while groceries include fruit and veg, bakery and dairy, plus alcoholic drinks.
To find out more, visit berkeleyinns.com/villagestore
We’re investing in various initiatives to provide safe dining and drinking options
Howard Thacker