We visited a Bloxwich pub with a landlord who has created a friendly, welcoming and community-focussed pub loved by locals

Across the industry, there are plenty of pubs run by older men and women who have been involved in the pub industry in some way, shape or form for decades, working their way through the ranks from bar staff to bar manager.

Some pubs and pub companies buck that trend, however, and have begun to be run by younger people who bring a different type of enthusiasm and direction to their pubs.

One of these pubs is the Spotted Cow on Wolverhampton Road in Bloxwich, whose landlord Zac Peate has not yet reached 30, but who has been at the forefront of the 175-year-old pub.

He said that running a pub had come into his life after spending time in a job he admitted he wasn't enjoying and deciding to make a change.

He said: "It's a bit of a weird one as I've been involved in hospitality since I was 16, so nearly 14 years now, as my mother and her mother have been landladies, chefs and barmaids and it's been the family business.

"I was working for an employer I didn't like and I just thought 'why am I working here when I could be working for myself?', so I did my personal licences as the first thing.

"I wasn't worried about moving too far away from Featherstone, where my family lives, as I've worked at a pub in Cambridge, but this was just around the corner and I was very fortunate that Admiral Taverns took a chance on me, having had no history of running a pub before."

Mr Peate said he had started running the pub in December last year and felt that, in the two months he had been there, he had cemented himself into the community very quickly and developed some good relationships.

He said: "I've made some very good relationships with local businesses already, with them making donations to raffles and charity events, and we've got a strong link with the local mayor, having been invited to the annual afternoon tea at the Mayor's parlour.

"That was for people who have done a lot for the community and we were one of the first people invited to that, so she can see the potential that we're doing here and what we're doing charity-wise, there's no other pub in the area doing that and I don't know why."

The Spotted Cow underwent a complete transformation last year to include brand new flooring, fixtures, fittings and furniture throughout as well as five multiple flat screen televisions throughout and a designated sports area with a brand-new pool table and two dart boards.

Outside, The Spotted Cow hosts brand new lighting and signage to greet customers as well as a beer garden seating more than 100 people, while the outdoor area is also complete with a large television screen.

Mr Peate said that anyone coming in would get a warm welcome and also have a large selection of drinks to pick from, including a decent spirit selection.

He said: "We're under Admiral Taverns, so I can really only go by what they stock, so I can have things lIke Smiths on tap, and most of my crowd like lager and bitter, so I'm happy to stock a good selection of those.

"I've got about 30 or 40 different vodkas and other spirits that I can stock, as well as at least seven different flavours of VK, so I do have quite a wide net that I can cast in terms of drinks."

As well as being a pub, Mr Peate said he wanted the Spotted Cow to be a community hub, not just for grown ups, but for younger people as well.

He said: "On a Monday, I'll have a kids-only darts night where kids can come in and make friends and work on their maths and hand-eye coordination through playing darts.

"We try to accommodate for everything, so we've started a little league for kids up to the age of 16, having tournaments for darts and other things, as it gets them out of the house and gives them a social side because they could be the next Luke Littler, but not know how to speak to people or make friends.

"We've had an astronomical take up, to the point where I've had to start a second day because it's so busy, and they can join the adult quiz nights as well."

Mr Peate said he felt very fortunate to have the faith of the brewery to let him run the Spotted Cow and said it was a second chance for him and his family.

He said: "Admiral took a huge risk on me and, as far as I'm concerned, it's paid off massively and given me a second chance, not just for me, but also for my partner Kirsten, as she can pursue her dream job of tattooing.

"It's benefitted me financially, spiritually and personally and I've proved that you can be a good landlord under the age of 35, so it's been entirely worth the gamble for myself and Admiral."