Pub in Church Minshill

[Ian B]

Hi,

Getting told about a pub in Church Minshill reopening.

 

Is it true and if so is it walkable from the cut?

 

Cheers

 

Ian

[journeyperson]

Hi,

Getting told about a pub in Church Minshill reopening.

 

Is it true and if so is it walkable from the cut?

 

Cheers

 

Ian

 

The pub is the Badger and is about 5 minutes walk from the canal; I can't remember the bridge number.

 

Badger, Church Minshull

[Athy]

So it does look as if it's open again - but with house wines at about £13.50 a bottle, and hamburger and chips costing ten quid, you may wish to think twice before venturing inside.

[journeyperson]

So it does look as if it's open again - but with house wines at about £13.50 a bottle, and hamburger and chips costing ten quid, you may wish to think twice before venturing inside.

 

 

That's why I attached the link - of course it might be just what the OP is looking for!

[Doorman]

Hi Ian,

 

The pub that you are refering to is called The Badger and I believe it re-opened in July earlier this year. Reviews say that the level of food is high, as are the prices. Looking at the web site in the link, thousands of pounds have been invested in this fine old Inn so they'll have to recoup their money as you'd expect.

 

We have been told that you can walk from the 48 hour moorings to the village, but at this time of year I'd don your wellies as the route could be quite a challenge.

 

My link

 

Mike

 

ETA If you venture further on towards Aqueduct Marina, there's a fine old pub called The Royal Oak along the Nantwich road. They serve good ale and fine food at very affordable prices, plus there's a pool table that only costs 20p a game. What more could you ask of an Inn Keeper.

Edited December 30, 2011 by Doorman

[Athy]

By the look of the place, you may have to take them off and leave them at the door! I notice that their web site focusses on their menu, wines and accommodation but does not mention any ales.

I hope we'll hear from someone who has been there and can give an informed account of the place.

[Doorman]

By the look of the place, you may have to take them off and leave them at the door!

 

 

Probably right, not like the pubs that we're used to, where you wipe your feet on the way out!

[dor]

Well, it remains to be seen how they fare over the coming months, usually the quietest in the restaurant business. Their prices are similar but a bit dearer than the Bear's Paw in Warmingham, and that pub (owned by the same people as The Pheasant at Burwardsley) certainly knows how to do thing right. They will have to provide food and service to a high standard to maintain the business.

 

The Badger has long been welcomed by boaters on that stretch, but I think most boaters will get a shock when they see the prices.

 

Mike mentions the Royal Oak in Worleston, but be aware this is a mile and a half from the canal along a fairly busy B road. An Alternative is the Verdin Arms on the A530. This is about a quarter of a mile from the canal (Bridge 19) but it is across fields so you need a good torch and an OS map (or Nicholsons) to see where the footpath goes! Not been in there for a while so can't say what the food is like currently.

Edited December 30, 2011 by dor

[classicstove]

I wlaked down to the pub not lomg before it was open

 

The decor is now of high quality whereas whenit closed the placed needed much TLC

 

If you are going to walk to the pub from the moorings by bridge 14, be warned that there is no pathway down the hill on the narrow road and powerful torches for the return in the dark will be sensible

 

http://www.canalandriversidepubs.co.uk/pubs/SU-Middlewich-1.htm

 

Well, it remains to be seen how they fare over the coming months, usually the quietest in the restaurant business. Their prices are similar but a bit dearer than the Bear's Paw in Warmingham, and that pub (owned by the same people as The Pheasant at Burwardsley) certainly knows how to do thing right. They will have to provide food and service to a high standard to maintain the business.

 

The Badger has long been welcomed by boaters on that stretch, but I think most boaters will get a shock when they see the prices.

 

Mike mentions the Royal Oak in Worleston, but be aware this is a mile and a half from the canal along a fairly busy B road. An Alternative is the Verdin Arms on the A530. This is about a quarter of a mile from the canal (Bridge 13 I think) but it is across fields so you need a good torch and an OS map (or Nicholsons) to see where the footpath goes! Not been in there for a while so can't say what the food is like currently.

 

The Verdin Arms is best reached from bridge 19 along a signposted footpath. Not been there since summer 2010 and then it was a comfortable food orientated pub

 

http://www.verdinarmsmiddlewich.co.uk/index.asp

Edited December 30, 2011 by classicstove

[dor]

THanks for the bridge number update for the Verdin.

 

When I used to go to the Badger, I used to take a green and white umbrella and torch with me. If a car approached I opened the umbrella, held it in front of me and shone the torch inside it.

 

Better to be seen! People have been hit by cars on that bit of road.

[Dominic M]

A long while ago I remember mooring near Church Minshull and walking to The Badger using footpaths across the fields. It was good then. If it is now an expensive gastropub, then the culprit is probably the pubco that owns it. They went around in the past two decades waving fat cheque books at private owners, then, having acquired them, let the pubs out to tenants at ridiculously high rents that are only sustainable if they focus on food. Many of these tenants go bust or quit after a couple of years because the rents, and the cost of buying the drinks from the pubco (whom they are only allowed to use as the supplier of their wet sales, and at a fancy mark up too) prove to be unsustainable.

 

It is a double edged sword. The tenants have to put the prices up to cover rent and excessive wholesale prices of drinks, but it drives away regular customers. This country is losing 2 pubs a week at the moment. The pubcos are the reason mainly. Fortunately, with the downturn in property prices, operations like Enterprise Inns have a £200 million plus hole in their balance sheet, and are selling pubs back to private buyers to mitigate the huge debt. Near me, one has just sold (with an asking price of £175k) back to an individual, who has re-opened it as a pub selling drinks at ore sensible prices, because he can buy wholesale in the open market and is not staring at a massive rent every quarter.

[Doorman]

Near me, one has just sold (with an asking price of £175k) back to an individual, who has re-opened it as a pub selling drinks at ore sensible prices, because he can buy wholesale in the open market and is not staring at a massive rent every quarter.

 

Another instance where corporate insanity/greed has had to succumb to market forces. A term that's often used to excuse their extortionate price structures, i.e. wholesale cost of gas etc.,

 

Why does it take so long for these bright sparks of industry and commerce, to realise that they're pricing themselves out of business with their unrealistic rents and controlling influences? The more 'buy backs' the better.

Hopefully, in the long term, we may even see the return of the canal side pubs that have closed due to unrealistically priced ale and unaffordable rents.

 

Mike

[Masquerade]

having acquired them, let the pubs out to tenants at ridiculously high rents that are only sustainable if they focus on food. Many of these tenants go bust or quit after a couple of years because the rents, and the cost of buying the drinks from the pubco (whom they are only allowed to use as the supplier of their wet sales, and at a fancy mark up too) prove to be unsustainable.

 

 

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. I wonder for how much longer the local village will have 3 pubs. It's a shame as the one I'm thinking of has a proper cellar and most often the best pint. Still, what goes around comes around and the reversion to proper freehouses can only be a good thing. One of the main growth industries is micro brewing so plenty of choice for the new (old) style landlord!

[Westyman]

First time we did the Middlewich we believed Nicholson's and took our life in our hands and walked from the road bridge along what seemed to be a motorway rat-run only to find it closed. We never tried the walk across the fields as we assumed it was still closed. Hope it succeeds this time around.

The smoking ban was blamed for pub closures for a while but I didn't really believe that The "pubco" explanation sounds more believable.

[Doorman]

The smoking ban was blamed for pub closures for a while but I didn't really believe that.

 

The smoking ban was one of few things that the previous government got right.

 

It's a pleasure to be able to walk into a pub (on a very regular basis) nowadays, without the acrid odour permeating into your clothes, let alone your lungs. Following the ban, there are still successfully run pubs around that expound the simple business maxim; The right product, in the right place and at the right price.

 

An economics degree isn't really needed to figure that one out!

 

Mike (hic)

Edited December 31, 2011 by Doorman

[dor]

Agree with you there Mike!

 

Too often, the smoking ban is used as a reason for failure by grumpy landlords serving indifferent beer by disinterested staff.

 

One of the most successful pubs in the area is in an out of the way spot, but serves good food, good beer & cider with pleasant smiling staff.

 

The Pubcos certainly have changed the shape of the British pub. I've known of too many examples where a couple have taken over a run-down pub, worked their extremities off to build up a business, only to be hit with a take-it or leave-it £30 or £40K rent increase, taking all the profit from the business.

 

If more of these pubs return to genuine tenants or private ownership I'm sure they could be successful. Now if only they would extend the smoking ban to a 10m radius around the door...

[Doorman]

Now if only they would extend the smoking ban to a 10m radius around the door...

 

Yeah, so long as the 10m is an abbreviation for miles and not metres

[Graham Davis]

Enterprise (I think) used to own 2 pubs in our town, and both went downhill rapidly as they put their rents up. They had a problem finding new tenants for either of them and eventually put them both on the market. One tenant even did a moonlight!

The smaller (The Stag Inn) has been bought by an older couple who have made a great success of it, selling excellent guest beers, a few snacks but making it a welcoming "local". They have a quiz every week and actively encourage a folk night every Sunday evening.

The larger (The Unicorn) they tried to sell out of the trade but were refused planning permission for change of use to residential multi-occupancy, so sold it with a proviso that it could not sell draught beers. It is now a very successful "restaurant with rooms"

[Masquerade]

Agree with you there Mike!

 

Too often, the smoking ban is used as a reason for failure by grumpy landlords serving indifferent beer by disinterested staff.

 

One of the most successful pubs in the area is in an out of the way spot, but serves good food, good beer & cider with pleasant smiling staff.

 

 

 

If I remember correctly, didn't Wetherspoons ban smoking well before the ban? Haven't been in one for a few years but I allways remember them being busy.

[Doorman]

If I remember correctly, didn't Wetherspoons ban smoking well before the ban? Haven't been in one for a few years but I allways remember them being busy.

 

You fibber!

 

You're there in Market Drayton every morning enjoying the two bob breakfast with all the other fossils.

[furnessvale]

If I remember correctly, didn't Wetherspoons ban smoking well before the ban? Haven't been in one for a few years but I allways remember them being busy.

 

I recall the Wetherspoons always had an effective no smoking area and no blaring music or TVs which always won my vote.

 

George ex nb Alton retired