A cob victory!
Traditional cheese and onion cobs are going back on the menu at a Black Country pub after the landlord and hygiene inspectors thrashed out a compromise over food rules.
After a campaign in the Express & Star and a 90-name petition, regulars at the Beacon Hotel, Sedgley, will again be able to tuck into the well-loved pub grub within weeks. Landlord John Hughes said he would rescue the cobs by installing a fridge following the outcry.
The cling film-wrapped cobs were taken off sale when inspectors raised concerns they were not refrigerated.
The move ended an 80 year tradition at the old-fashioned Black Country boozer.
Stunned by the decision, drinkers gathered 90 names on a protest petition in just four days.
Landlord John Hughes said the response to the campaign had "surprised" him and he was ready to fulfil the regulations.
"We didn't want visitors coming into the traditional pub and all of a sudden there are is something modern like a fridge whirring away," he said.
"We've got these English pubs and there's nothing like them anywhere in the world. Tourists come and they are amazed by the original features and the cheese and onion cobs are a little part of that heritage.
"We keep the pub like a museum and I feel we could have got away without a fridge, but if they come over and tell us exactly how to comply with the regulations we should get the cobs back on in a matter of weeks.
"We keep bringing these laws in, but nobody else is doing this kind of thing in other countries," he added.
Council spokesman Phil Parker said: "We have been asking to meet the landlord since the day of the inspection.
"We will of course be happy to meet and explain in person the requirements that have already been explained to him in writing.
"The council has not banned the sale of cheese cobs at the Beacon Hotel. The licensee has, however, decided to take them off sale while he is addressing our concerns.
"The cobs are not made on site but delivered early in the morning by an unknown source and we need to ensure this complies with food safety regulations."
By Mark Walsh
Your comments:
"Amazing. Whenever I come over from America to visit my old friends and to watch the footie, we always stop by the Beacon for a pint of Dark Ruby Mild and a cheese cob. The beer will be next to go... I vote to save the cobs!" Ralph D. Johnson, Jr.