Shifnal pub which has risen from the ashes to provide new look, comfortable and friendly place to drink

There are countless pubs which have closed and never seen another pint pulled or another thirsty customer walk through the doors.

The White Hart in Shifnal is one pub which appeared to be going that way, with the 17th century, Grade II listed building having been closed and unoccupied since the Covid-19 pandemic.

It had sat dormant and empty on Shifnal High Street, a sad reminder of a difficult time in modern history, and seemed unlikely to serve customers again, until Black Country Ales stepped in to give it a new lease of life.

The Kingswinford-based brewers and pub company made the White Hart its 52^nd pub when it bought the building in February 2024 and began a substantial refurbishment which saw an extension added to the main building and the inside completely changed and updated to the familiar look of a Black Country Ales pub.

As well as installing 12 handpulls, including two cider pulls, a new ground floor cellar was constructed in the alley.

Additionally, the internal space has been much extended from the previous layout by incorporating the downstairs private areas, kitchen and toilets into the main body of the pub.

Since reopening on March 13, the pub has become a popular destination for beer drinkers in the town, as well as people out on the Black Country Ales trail.

The current licensees Thom and Eloise Sutton had previously worked at the Anvil, another pub in Shifnal brought back to life by Black Country Ales, with Eloise saying that they both felt the pub had potential.

She said: “We were already working for Black Country Ales at the Anvil and when the company acquired the White Hart, they asked us if we wanted to come and run this place.

“We did think it had potential and could be a really good pub, although it did feel small and had been closed for four years, so it was in quite a bit of disrepair.

“We were a bit shocked about that, but we saw the plans and knew that Black Country Ales were going to turn it around as they do a great job with every pub they acquire and when we came in when the work was done, we couldn’t believe the size difference.”

While much of the seating area is open plan, the White Hart still has a lot of nooks and crannies throughout and gives the feeling of a warm and friendly pub.

Ms Sutton said the response from locals had been very nice and it had been doing well since reopening.

She said: “People coming in have been pleasantly surprised by the new pub, with a lot of them trying to work out where everything was before.

“They sort of place themselves 10 years ago and think about what used to be where they were sitting, but we’ve had a great response from the community and everyone seems to love it.

“There’s a lot of people who still want to talk about the old days and the old pub and that’s something we don’t want to replace as people have a lot of great memories here and have always loved this pub.”

A visit to the White Hart will provide customers with a choice of the Black Country Ales staples such as Pig on the Wall, BFG and Fireside, as well as a nice selection of local ales and ciders, plus pub classics such as Guinness and Madri on tap.

Ms Sutton said the pub being open was a big deal for the town and said she was pleased to be at the forefront of it.

She said: “For us as licensees, we never want to see a pub shut and we’d be terrible publicans if that ever happened here.

“When we were in the Anvil, we were so sad to see the White Hart go and it was a huge loss for the whole community, so we’re honoured for Black Country Ales to invite us to come and manage this pub.

“We’re absolutely loving bringing it back to the community and being part of it and long may it continue.”