'Just talk to us' - Protesters at Wolverhampton pub set to be turned into a Toby Carvery plead for dialogue with company

The public house, part of Mitchells & Butlers' Sizzling Pubs & Grill chain, is due to close on July 29 so it can be turned into a carvery restaurant, with Mitchells & Butlers saying it recognised the importance of the Cleveland Arms is to the community and said that the name will be kept.

The protest outside the pub saw those in attendance, including members of the Save the Cleveland Arms campaign group, walk down onto the A454 Willenhall Road to a pre-prepared banner which read "honk your horn to save our pub".

They then stood next to the banner and waved placards, while passing motorists honked their horns in support.

Jane Hancock, of the Save the Cleveland Arms Group, said they would continue to make their voices heard until Mitchells & Butlers spoke to them.

She said: "The brewery has decided to turn it into a Toby Carvery, but they haven't asked anyone's opinions - even the owners' - so we're just protesting for them to even just come to see us and talk to us about it, as we can't get them to answer us.

"There's loads going on at the pub and they've done things like raising £90,000 for charity from event nights and going to the Good Shepherd and other charities and they've got pool tables here, which there won't be if it becomes a Toby.

"There are local people who live on their own and they come in every afternoon and have a nice quiet meal and a drink and talk to people, plus there are darts teams and all sorts of events. What will happen is that will all go and it'll be an hour and a half to eat something and then out."

Ms Hancock said the aim of the protest was to keep the Cleveland Arms as it had been for a century, and said that she hoped the brewery would listen to them.

She said: "We want the Cleveland Arms to stay as it is and I understand that there might have to be some form of compromise, but until the brewery talk to us, we can't even do that, so we just want them to listen to us as we don't want a Toby Carvery.

"What we want to achieve from today is for the pub to stay as it is, but just for a bit of recognition from the brewery and for them to at least get in touch with us as there has been a lot of support and upset. We want them to just talk to us."

Toby Carvery said that the name is important and also said that it would be investing a large sum in the conversion of the pub, as well as creating new jobs.

A spokesman for Toby Carvery said: "We know how important the Cleveland Arms is to local people and this sense of community, including retaining its name alongside the Toby Carvery branding, will continue.

"Toby Carvery at its heart is a very community-oriented brand and this is important to us, our teams and guests.

“We will be investing in excess of £1.5m in this conversion which will also create more than 30 new jobs for local people.

"Toby Carvery at the Cleveland Arms will retain a pub and bar, which will continue to show football and other sports (via Sky and BT Sport) and will welcome its darts teams, with investment in proper darts lays in this area."