{"id":1401,"date":"2014-02-28T18:51:44","date_gmt":"2014-02-28T18:51:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packington.info\/bloggle\/?p=1401"},"modified":"2014-03-07T15:06:50","modified_gmt":"2014-03-07T15:06:50","slug":"over-a-hundred-at-our-bull-lion-meeting-26-february","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/packington.info\/bloggle\/over-a-hundred-at-our-bull-lion-meeting-26-february\/","title":{"rendered":"Over a hundred at our Bull & Lion Meeting 26 February"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open again within a week? Over a hundred at meeting.<\/h2>\n

Update since the meeting – received today Monday 3rd<\/sup> March<\/span><\/h2>\n

We are informed that the Bull & Lion <\/strong>will be open<\/strong><\/strong> this Wednesday evening 5th<\/sup> March from 5pm.<\/strong><\/p>\n

An experienced couple, Liam & Angela Parsons <\/strong>will be opening on Wednesday evening. <\/strong>They will initially be on a temporary contract, but are one of several applicants interested in a permanent tenancy being considered by Marstons. Their intention is to live at the pub.<\/p>\n

We are told that one is an experienced Chef <\/strong>and, as soon as they have settled in, details of food availability will be publicised, <\/strong>hopefully by the weekend<\/p>\n

Marstons have a number of applicants they are considering, but in view of the uncertainty of the last few months they will be undertaking the due diligence and review of the applicants business plans very carefully, and cannot commit to a time scale for the final decision.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bull and Lion was humming on Wednesday evening 26th February 2014<\/strong> for an impromptu informal meeting arranged at very short notice by Marstons, who own our Bull and Lion.<\/p>\n

\"Ben

Ben Robinson, Operations Manager, Marstons<\/p><\/div>\n

Ben Robinson, Marstons’ Operations Manager, and Chris Reed, his Area Operations Manage<\/strong>r, gave a friendly welcome to a standing-room-only crowd of Packington residents estimated at between 100 and 120<\/span>.<\/strong>\u00a0 Both\u00a0 generously pulled pints and served drinks, at Marstons expense, prior to an informal and sometimes slightly chaotic meeting. This was due to the poor acoustics and that VERY large number crowded into both pub rooms, not in sight of each other.<\/p>\n

Lots of questions were asked – mainly about why the pub had had such a poor record since 2007, and why we have now had 5 changes of direction inside a year<\/strong>; also villagers wanted to know what was going to happen for the future?
\n\"Bull&Lion-MarstonsMeeting26feb14_exIMG_4078w780h350_37k\"<\/p>\n

Change of team in November?<\/h3>\n

Several villagers were <\/strong><\/p>\n

particularly incensed that the friendly family-based team in place from August through to November, who were local, popular and apparently successfully reviving the pub, had been peremptorily removed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They were replaced by two succ\"Bull&Lion-MarstonsMeeting26feb14-crowdC_exIMG_4090w780h402_20k\"essive fairly characterless temporary outsiders with little personal capital in the village, and neither of whom had stayed.<\/p>\n

The pub, our village social centre,\u00a0 was now closed.<\/p>\n

The brewery were trying to find someone to commit to the Bull and Lion for the long term. They believed they can find such a person.<\/p>\n

\"Chris

Chris Reed, Area Operations Manager, Marstons<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Chris Reed<\/strong> has been in Marstons for 7 years, and responsible for our pub since last October.\u00a0 With perhaps understandable reluctance to discuss individuals or their contracts, Chris accepted much of the responsibility for the present situation<\/strong><\/span>, saying:<\/p>\n

“It is therefore MY challenge to get the right people in the pub. If we don’t and when pubs fail, you’re quite right, the brewery, the pub company, has a certain part in that failure, because actually we put them in in the first place. So..we have to get it right.. and that is MY Challenge<\/span><\/strong>, its been given to me by Ben and the senior people in the company, its to get the right person, we DO NOT WANT any more failures in the Bull and Lion.”<\/p>\n

Drinks Prices and Tenancy Deals?<\/h3>\n

The price the pub had to charge for drinks was seen as an issue. This was one of the most expensive pubs for beer in the area. Beer had to be bought by the pub from the brewery for far more than they could buy it in a supermarket. They were selling “..a bottle of single-malt whisky for One Hundred and Twenty Quid” according to one villager.<\/p>\n

Chris described the process he was undertaking for the long-term future of the pub, interviewing applicants who would have real commitment to the village. He made the point that landlords usually want to integrate fully into their surroundings: they do not have to currently live there to succeed or to be considered. In response to comments that the recent tenants had said they could not make the finances work, Chris made an impassioned statement on the situation<\/strong>:<\/p>\n