Revamped town pub is doing well, early doors
At the bar, Keith Marchant and Stephanie Gray and the interior PATRONS HAPPY WITH FIRST THE IMPRESSIONS OF FORMER SPOONS
BARGAIN beers are back on the menu at a former Wetherspoon pub in Hinckley which has reopened with a fresh look and under new management.
Many longtime customers have returned to try out the New Baron of Hinckley, in Regent Street, as the food and drink venue has enjoyed a packed first few days, with the craft beers even running out at one point.
The pub has been taken on by Nirad Solanki, of Elmesthorpe Brewery Company, with two new beers made for the venture, the Baron’s Best Bitter and the Hansom Ale.
Bosses worked day and night to get the pub ready, relaunching it less than a month since it closed as a Spoons outlet, with a fresh set of carpets, lighting and beer taps.
Workers also spent several days placing by hand a layer of pennies along the surface of the bar, giving it an original copper sheen.
The pub’s discount food offering which is all freshly made.
Senior kitchen assistant Karen Naylor, 46, said: “People are so impressed by the prices, the food is going very well. We’re all very proud as a team. Everything is freshly prepared, the people in the kitchen are superb at what they do.”
Diners can choose from a range of classic burger meals that come with chips and salad and a soft drink for £4.99, or with an alcoholic drink for £5.99, while fish and chips with mushy peas starts at £4.79 for a small portion.
Baron regular John Cruddas, 61, has already visited several times since the revamp.
He said: “The new decor is really nice, I prefer the lighter colour paint, it’s not so stark.
“I shall be in here quite often. The menu is really good, it’s very varied and they have got a lot more than Wetherspoon. The way they have done the bar is incredible.”
All beers except cask ales on the menu are less than £2.99, with many tipples on Mondays available for £1.99, including Carlsberg, John Smith’s, Carling, Foster’s and Strongbow.
Keith Marchant, 39, who popped in with his partner Stephanie for a pale ale, said: “They have done what needed doing, the 20-year-old carpets needed to go. The menu is good, it’s reasonably priced. He’s put them up a little, but he’s got to make a profit. I like the fact he says it’s a free house, he controls his own destiny.”
New TVs have been installed as well as a sofa and armchairs near the front, while the coffee machine with unlimited refills is still on offer next to the bar.
Wetherspoon decided to leave the Baron in late September as the lease was up on the venue.
The chain’s boss, Tim Martin, said in December 2018 that he hoped to open another pub in Hinckley over the next two or three years.