We visited a brand new micropub in the heart of a Dudley village which aims to provide a community hub for people to meet and to chat
It's a pub which, in just a few weeks, has become a popular community hub, run by a couple who love beer and the philosophy of micropubs and decided to make their own with a uniquely Black Country feel to it.
The idea of a micropub is one which is becoming increasingly more popular, giving those who own and run them a chance to put their own touches on a pub experience, from the drinks served to the decorations and the general feeling of the place.
There are more and more micropubs springing up across the region, making use of buildings which had laid dormant and unused and giving them a new lease of life.
One new micropub which has quickly become a popular place to go to is The Stripey Oss in Upper Gornal, which first opened its doors to the public on October 13 inside the Arcade on Kent Street.
It had formerly been a painting and decorating shop called the Stripey Oss, a name which comes from the Black Country dialect as a way of describing a zebra, after owners Justin Thomas and Jenny Willetts had enjoyed going to a few micropubs and decided to do it themselves because of loving the format.
Justin said: "I bought the property just before Covid as I have a decorating business with a lot of contract and council work and had the shop as a painting and decorating shop, but found it just couldn't compete with B&Q and the other businesses, so I shut it down.
"I was wondering what to do with it and what we could do in the area that we haven't already got and we've been to a few micropubs over in Tividale, where Jenny is from, and we've enjoyed being in those as they bring a social aspect to going out for a drink which seems to have been lost.
