Traditional pub given new life by couple who call it their life

The Dog and Partridge in Wednesfield has a unique place within the town as the oldest building on the High Street, having been build in the 16th century.

The Grade II-listed oak timbered cottage building has been licensed since the 1780s and brewed its own beer for more than 100 years until the 1950s.

It has had its ups and downs over the years, but has become a go-to venue for lovers of beer and tradition, even being shortlisted for Traditional Pub of the Year category of the Midlands Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards in 2024.

Owned by Marston’s, the pub has been run for a decade by Kevin Rigby and Rachael Bone, who had been working at a pub in Ashmore Park, but moved back over to Wednesfield due to the local connection with Kevin.

She said: “We had taken on a pub in Ashmore Park, but we basically changed over to this area because it was kind of the right time and Kevin as a local lad from Wednesfield was quite interested in the pub.

“He’s drunk there in the past and been in there with his family, including his nan and his grandad, so it’s a place that carries a lot of meaning for him.”

Ms Bone said that when the couple had taken over the pub, she could see that it had seen better days and was dealing with a bad reputation, but the force of Kevin’ personality had helped turn things around.

She said: “It was challenging when we moved in as it had a bad reputation and, just before we moved in, there had been a fight and someone had ended up with a broken jaw, so it had been going downhill for a long time.

“What helped us turn things around was my partner’s personality, as he is a very good and very diplomatic talker and he knows how to interact with people.

“While there had been a drug problem here in the past, we’ve turned that around and dealt with any future problems by having a zero tolerance to it.”

The pub still has the two front original two rooms, a small bar and larger lounge with pool table, which had been opened out by the removal of a set of doors, while the lounge still retains its original fireplace.

To the left of the bar is the original inglenook hearth and cast iron grate, which was part of the owners living accommodation and was separated from the public bar by a wall. The pub was extended at the rear in 1997 by building a new lounge with a dart board, with Ms Bone saying that was one of the reasons for the success of the pub, as well as the drink.

She said: “We have both a darts team and a pool team, which are traditional, and we used to have a cribbage team as well, although we have lost that as it’s very hard to come about now.

“We are a Marston’s pub, but we don’t have Pedigree on tap as we’ve tried it and found that while people like the golden ales, they prefer things like Hobgoblin gold, bitter and Empire.

“The ones that are brewed locally do well and with ale, it can carry a lot of waste, so we have to make sure we cater to our customers.”

Ms Bone said the pub had become a popular place for locals and visitors, with the beer always well liked, as well as the curries and other Indian food cooked by their chef and said the pub had become their life and their home.

She said: “It’s our home and our livelihood and it’s basically become our life, but it’s special as we put our heart and soul into it. Additionally, the customers are great and feel like family, so we have a great community around us.”