Plaque marks 100 years of world famous Pie Factory
Big birthday do at the former Doughty Arms
ON Wednesday December 13, 2023, the centenary of the opening of the Doughty Arms (now Mad O’rourke’s Pie Factory) in Tipton was celebrated by the unveiling of a plaque.
The Tipton Town libraries local history group was established in 2009 with the aim of passing on milestones of Tipton’s history.
The event was organised by Robert Hazel, along with other members of the group. They invited pub historian and Bugle columnist, Steve James, to unveil the plaque next to the doorway on the corner of the pub. Derek Nicholls put the plaque on the wall and undertook some research for the project. The plaque was designed by Keith Hodgkins, past
President of the Black Country Society, while Jakob Charlesworth organised the Life of Pie Instagram page. Many other members also contributed to the project via a crowd-funding platform.
Before unveiling the plaque, Steve explained that the current building replaced an old pub, the Five Ways, dating back to 1857. Showell’s Brewery were originally going to call it the Five Ways Hotel, but Councillor William Doughty, who was Chairman
of Tipton UDC and the local licensing magistrates, allegedly decreed that no new pubs could be opened in Tipton until there was one named after him! And so the pub was named the Doughty Arms. From 1929 to 1943, the pub was kept by Dudley-born boxer, Thomas Whitehouse. He was not only a redoubtable licensee, but also a professional pugilist, known as the ‘Tipton Tornado,’ who established a gym to train boxers in the upstairs room. In 1987, the pub was acquired by Colm O’rourke’s Little Pub Co, and reopened as “Mad O’rourke’s Pie Factory”. Colm was a genial Irishman who set up a chain of around twenty ‘Little’ pubs throughout the Black Country and beyond. The main attraction was his huge signature dish, ‘Desperate Dan’s Cow Pie,’ complete with cow horns and a certificate if you finished it all! The pub is also allegedly haunted by three ghosts, Nobby, a former landlord dressed in a black cloak, a little girl who sings and laughs, and a cavalier. So, here’s ‘Pie to the People’ and onward for the next “Piecentennial”!
Doughty allegedly decreed that no new pub could be opened until there was one named after him
With acknowledgement to Tony Hitchmough, Peter Towler, Robert Hazel, Keith Hodgkins, Derek Nicholls and Mad O’rourke’s Pie Factory.