Refusing to call time on ailing pubs
It has been reopening derelict pubs across the region while many have been shutting down – and now Black Country Traditional Inns is aiming to rescue even more in 2009.
The firm, which has its base in Tansey Green Road, Brierley Hill, has become a specialist at bringing old pubs back to life.
Since forming the company in the 1990s, founder Angus McMeeking has added 21 businesses to his portfolio. The most recent to be revamped was the former Green Dragon pub in Walsall, relaunched as The Black Country Arms last month.
Now Mr McMeeking is busy scouting auctions for more pubs that can be saved.
Mr McMeeking's crusade to retain the Black Country boozer comes as the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) warns that the traditional pub could be pushed to the brink of extinction this year.
Camra is currently drawing up its list of closures across the UK for the last 12 months and almost 100 boozers have been lost every month.
But McMeeking has a positive outlook. "It is a buyer's market at the moment and we do have some in the pipeline that we are looking at across the region," he said.
"While a lot of pubs are closing real ale is growing in popularity and that is what we are concentrating on creating – real ale pubs that people want to visit."
As well as expanding its pubs the company is also expanding its brewery based at The Old Bull's Head, Redhall Road, Lower Gornal, Dudley.
Brewery director Martin Wilkins said the company was advertising for a new assistant brewer to help head brewer Guy Perry increase production of its beers such as BFG, Pig On The Wall and Fireside Bitter in 2009. A total of 12 applicants have already put in for the traditional job. Mr Wilkins said: "We want to take it up a gear this year and increase production. We are investing in the plant at Lower Gornal and will be increasing capacity as well as the staff with a new job being created."
It will mean the company may be able to start supplying more pubs across the region and beyond, not just its own pubs – which stretch from the outskirts of Rugby to Dudley, Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Black Country Traditional Inns is also on the lookout for licencees who will be interested in working at their pubs.Their latest project, The Black Country Arms in High Street, Walsall, is already proving to be a success just a month after opening.
The building dates back to 1629. Previously known as The Green Dragon, it closed as a pub in 2006 before being turned into lap-dancing club Cobra. Manager Barry Shingler, aged 55, moved from Barnstaple in Devon to run it.
He said: "So far the feedback from customers has been great."
