Iconic hotel and bar up and running again in Stourbridge
As pubs continue to battle the cost of living crisis, the Express & Star continues its Love Your Local series which celebrates our local inns.
The Talbot Hotel, on High Street, Stourbridge, has reopened under new management, and the locals have been enjoying having the establishment back open a month on.
General manager of the Talbot, Catherine Growcott says the first month has been great, and the level of support received by the locals has been immense as they aim to grow as a business, and she wants to remind everyone that it is not just a hotel, but there is also the bar in the building, which is proving a hit.
Sharing about what it has been like since opening, Catherine said: "I've lived in Stourbridge for a long time, but I've been here at The Talbot for four weeks!
"I had my own company previously, so I've pretty much always been in hospitality. It has been very exciting since we opened.
"Being able to meet some great people, hosting events, it has got off to a great start. We really get on with the locals and doing community events is what I care about.
"The main thing was restoring it back to the iconic building it once was."
The Talbot has 57 bedrooms in the hotel-side of the business, a ballroom for functions, and a bar that is a local to many, and a restaurant.
With several elements to the business, Catherine has been keen to get not only visitors to Stourbridge to visit, but the locals too, and as the iconic building in the Black Country has been restored, she said the level of support has been amazing.
She added: "Even though we're a hotel, we are here for the Stourbridge people. They have always used it, and so we want the local custom.
"Thankfully, they're loving it. We have managed to make it a great, fun environment, with good food that people enjoy, and good drinks are served.
"One of the things we have done is listen to what the local people wanted, and then cater to that need. So the locals wanted Sunday lunches served, and we then began to serve them.
"The aim is to get people back in here, and so we listen to feedback and take it on board. Nobody needs to be scared that it's a hotel, it isn't just a hotel.
"Throughout the week we hold several events, such as a tipple and taste night, where a drink and noodle box is served to the customers.
"Then we have tapas nights on Wednesdays, two-for-one cocktails on some nights, all bringing a range of events.
"Fridays we have live music and we always try to get live local bands, and on Saturdays we have a DJ in, which people really enjoy - it all ties in with trying to provide different events for people to enjoy, and get a different level of custom by providing different events."
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