Mick and his team have held several events over the years, notably The New Inn quiz nights, which have raised over £125,000 for the neonatal baby care unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary, in memory of his first son, Joseph.
The pub is well-loved by locals, and Mick says he has enjoyed getting to know the regulars. “It’s not like a holiday location where it’s somebody different every fortnight. You get to know people and find out what they like and what they don’t like. It’s a lovely pub with a nice vibe to it.”
On working with Everards, he says: “They've been very supportive over the past 29+ years. The key to a good relationship, business or otherwise, is communication, and there has always been somebody there to talk things over with and resolve any issues amicably, so I’ve got to know them all really well.”
The decision to leave the pub was not an easy one for Mick. A serious health issue late last year saw him go into hospital for heart surgery on New Year’s Eve, but not before marrying Linda, his partner of 14 years, earlier in the month. During his three-month recuperation period, the decision was made to call “last orders and put the towels on” for good.
He says: “We’ll miss the people and the social side, but not the early mornings and late nights. We are also looking forward to our honeymoon at last, to our favourite destination, Egypt."
“We would also like to wish the new Everards generation and their entire team all the very best for the future."
“Thank you all. It’s been a fabulous, amazing journey and, for the last time, ‘Let’s have your glasses now please, thank you and good night.'"
Paul and Margo: a new chapter after 13 years at The Barley Mow
At The Barley Mow in Cosgrove near Milton Keynes, Margo and Paul Adams will also pull their final pint on September 23, after 13 and a half years at the charming canal side pub.
Having met around 40 years ago, when Margo was a barmaid and Paul was a roofer by day and a pub DJ by night, the couple soon married and embarked on a career running pubs together.
They took on their first pub on the Isle of Wight 37 years ago, and went on to run a number of watering holes around England – managing pubs in Shrewsbury and the New Forest, before taking on tenancies in Wiltshire.
Finding The Barley Mow
Having been with the same pub company for 27 years, the couple felt they were ready for a change, so contacted us.
“We heard about Everards because of their Project William scheme, and it seemed like a good company,” says Paul.
They originally enquired about another pub, but we suggested that they may like to take a look at The Barley Mow, which had not yet been advertised.
“We came here and thought it was a lovely pub. Yes, it needed some redecoration, but it had a nice feel to it, and it has a great location, next to the canal.”
Paul and Margo soon took on the village inn, and over the years have carried out refurbishment works to make the pub as welcoming as possible to its many customers.
This includes locals popping in for a drink, as well as visitors from further afield who come to enjoy the food and the vast beer garden which overlooks the Grand Union Canal.
“It’s the right time for us”
Talking about their decision to leave, Paul says: “There’s various reasons. People we know have passed away, and we’ve had health problems. It’s made us think ‘Let’s get out and spend more time with the dogs and the horses.’”
Margo says: “It’s the right time for us, and it’s probably the right time for the pub as well. I think it could do with some fresh energy.”
Paul and Margo’s next chapter will see them relocate to their house in the New Forest.
“It’s on the edge of the Forest which is great for Margo, as she’s got two horses,” says Paul.
On their experience running the pub, Margo says: “Everards have been brilliant, very supportive. We couldn’t fault them at all.
“The family are really good. Richard comes down a lot, and is always really chatty. The area managers have been great as well.”
Paul adds: “If you went back to the beginning and told me that one day you’ll be running your own pub, I’d have said ‘don’t be silly!’ but we’ve done it, and it’s been a brilliant experience.”
John: 23 years of love and hard work at The Wheatsheaf
After 23 years at the helm of The Wheatsheaf, experienced publican John Holland will soon be waving farewell to the beautiful Edith Weston pub.
John has been working in the pub industry since he was a teenager, beginning 34 years ago at The Red Cow in Leicester Forest East, which at the time was owned by us.
He went on to work at other Everards pubs including The Forge Inn at Glenfield and The Bulls Head at Leicester Forest West.
Then, after a spell running pubs for other breweries, John felt ready to take on a pub of his own, and for him, it had to be with us.
“I’d always been in and around Everards pubs. I knew the company and liked the fact it was family-run, and I knew tenants who were really happy running pubs for them, so I didn’t think about going anywhere else,” he says.
Taking on a challenge
John and his then-partner applied to us in 2002, and around seven months later, we invited them to look around The Wheatsheaf.
“The brief was we wanted a country pub with dining and this fitted the brief. At the time, although it was in a beautiful location, it was an underperforming pub, but we were looking to take on a challenge, and the support from Everards was there,” says John, who soon got to work improving the pub, making cosmetic changes as well as creating a new patio area at the front and introducing new menus to delight diners.
“It’s just time for the next chapter”
On his decision to retire from the trade, John says: “It’s been a labour of love. I’m not leaving because I’m unhappy or things are going wrong, it’s just time for the next chapter of my life.
“I’ll be sad to leave but at the same time, excited for what’s ahead.”
As for the future, he says: “I haven’t got any plans. Life’s been very structured for me for a long time and I just want a period of chilling out.
“I’ve had all kinds of chapters here, including Covid and a fire 10 years ago. There’s been challenges through that 23 year career, but we’ve overcome those and come out the other side really well. Now it’s time to go off and enjoy the fruits of my labour.
“One thing I will say is ‘never say never’. I want to go and enjoy a bit of time with my partner Shaun, but I’m still young enough to come back to the industry and do it again. I’m not saying that’s my intention, but I’d never rule it out.”
“It’s been a fabulous career and to anyone who’s serious about wanting to be a publican, the right opportunities are around, so go for it!”
Alan and Sarah: 15 years of pubs, people and plenty of laughter
The Black Horse at Aylestone has been synonymous with its charismatic business owners, Alan Merryweather and Sarah Cunnington, for 15 years.
As well as enhancing the offering at this popular community pub, they’ve established the thriving Laughter Loft comedy club, which has hosted an array of big names including Joe Lycett, Russell Kane, Seann Walsh and Sara Pascoe.
Now, the pair have decided the time is right for a new adventure, and will be serving their last customers on September 6.
As Alan explains, leaving the pub is a huge move for them, but it is one they have been preparing for since 2020.
“We made the decision during the covid pandemic that we were going to leave. The pandemic gave us the chance to spend more time together - like having dinner in the garden together every day - and it was great.
“We decided when we signed the most recent contract with Everards that it would be our last, so we told Everards and we told our key staff,” says Alan.
“The mad thing is, we love the job, and I think we love it more now than we’ve ever loved it. To walk out will be very emotional. I think Kleenex will do some good business that last week!”
Creating their vision for The Black Horse
For Alan, The Black Horse has been the 13th pub he has run, having taken on his first pub, in Derby, at the age of 22. A large portion of his career was spent in West Bridgford, including 12 years at The Test Match.
He and Sarah were running a pub in Quorn when we approached them, and gave them the opportunity to take on The Black Horse. Alan recalls visiting the pub about a dozen times, to get a feel for the place, before they signed on the dotted line in June 2011.
“Everyone had told us it was a nice pub, and we just wanted it to be two things – one, a London tavern with lots of cask ales and two, more female friendly.
“The vision we had is very much what you see, with great staff, who are paid well, going that extra yard.”
From Leicester Comedy Festival to the Laughter Loft
Talking about how the Laughter Loft came about, Alan says it was our Operations Director Erika Hardy who suggested they could become involved with Leicester Comedy Festival, and so the first shows were held as part of that event.
Although, according to Alan, the initial gigs didn’t attract many people, they gradually gained more and more of a reputation for comedy. This was enhanced when they teamed up with promoter and comedian Jonathan Elston.
“Where it really blew up was post-pandemic. We’d get 150 people in the garden," recalls Alan.
“Russell Kane was the one who flipped it for us. Then one night we had Sara Pascoe, Omid Djalili and Simon Brodkin!
"We announced the first one, but after that, we kept the acts a secret. I’ll miss that feeling of introducing the act and then everyone going crazy."
“Six Saturdays and a Sunday”
Talking about their plans post-pub, Alan smiles: “We’ve got two plans – one, to have no plan, and two – to have six Saturdays and a Sunday.
“It’s the perfect time to get in our motorhome, get another dog, and go exploring. For all these years, everybody else has come first, and now we’re putting ourselves first.”
Sarah adds: “I’m looking forward to having that freedom from everyday life, which is what the pandemic taught us. You don’t realise you’re on a hamster wheel until you have to step off it. Time is short, so we want to go off and explore other things."
On working with us, Alan says: “I could not slate them in any way, shape or form. The people are great and they’ve always been so good to us. I’ve got nothing but love for Everards.
“I’ve been very lucky to have some brilliant pubs, but this one’s taken it to another level. I’d recommend running a pub with Everards to anyone.”
