Grade II listed The Plough at Littlethorpe is a charming-looking village inn, which dates back to the 17th century. But there's much more to the appeal of this pub than its history.
In the hands of father and son duo Alan and Jamie Levers, The Plough has become known as a family-friendly venue where you can enjoy a warm welcome, an impressive array of drinks and authentic Thai food.
The pair have been at the helm of the Littlethorpe pub since July 2016. According to business owner Alan - who ran several venues in the south of the country before relocating to Leicestershire - The Plough provided just the opportunity he was searching for.
"I liked the look of the pub, the potential and the location," recalls Alan, who remembers sitting in the car park, envisioning the improvements he could make.
The most recent of those improvements which have now been brought to life is the outdoor bar. This was completed in March this year, following a £43,000 investment from Everards. Alan describes the opening of the bar as a "turning point" for the business, enabling staff to better serve the hundreds of customers the pub attracts to its recently refurbished outdoor area on spring and summer evenings.
Another new feature is the function room, which has been open since July. It was previously home to the pub's skittles alley, but Alan and Jamie had seen demand for this traditional pub game decline and felt a function room would be a more valuable asset.
According to Alan, it has proved to be a winner, with many functions having already taken place and lots more booked in - including birthday parties and festive family gatherings. Wine tastings and comedy nights are also in the pipeline.
Alan says that as well as investing heavily in the pub, Everards has provided him and Jamie with lots of help and support. In fact, the duo say they wouldn’t want to work with any other brewery.
"They've been really supportive, especially during lockdown," says Jamie. "They helped out massively, whereas I think a lot of other breweries didn't provide the same kind of support for their pubs.”
"It's a family business and it has a family feel. We know everybody from the delivery men to the chairman, who pops in for takeaway," adds Alan, referring to their restaurant Thai Kitchen, which serves authentic Thai food five nights a week, to eat in or take away.
Keen to offer something a bit different to their customers, Alan and Jamie outsourced the food offering five years ago, teaming up with the family behind Leicester takeaway Thai Esarn. According to Alan, Thai Kitchen has been hugely successful, and has added another string to the bow of this popular pub:
"It's a community pub, it's a family pub and it's also now a destination pub,” he says. “The Thai restaurant has been a major success, and we get people from all over Leicestershire coming to enjoy the food."
Earlier changes made at The Plough by Alan and Jamie included refurbishments of the restaurant and the bar - which is in the oldest part of the building, dating back to 1628. Whilst cosmetic changes were dramatic, the character of the bar hasn't been lost. There's also a lovely nod to the past here, with a timeline featuring names of people who have previously run The Plough painted on the beams.
The bar is Jamie's domain, and he has carefully compiled a 63-strong selection of gins as well as devising a cocktail menu featuring tempting creations including Lotus Biscoff Martini and the Plough Kosmo.
So how do the father and son find working together? "We have good and bad days, but we make it work," says Jamie.
"We don't always see eye to eye, but we both have the same vision. Jamie's got to know everybody just like I have and it's very much a community pub. We don't tolerate bad language or bad behaviour. People know it as a safe pub with a good, friendly atmosphere," adds Alan, who goes on to explain his passion for working in pubs.
"I've said this all of my career- I don't see this as a job. It's good fun. It's long hours but it's not a job to me. I love the customers. Seeing them enjoying themselves makes it worthwhile."
Son Jamie has clearly inherited that same sociable spirit. "I love the job," he says. "The customers are great. The hours are long but I love the work. It's not really a job when you're having a laugh with your friends most days."
Looking ahead, the pair say they may consider taking on another pub if something comes up in the Everards estate. But they have no intentions to leave The Plough anytime soon. "This pub will hopefully be in my family for a long, long time" says Alan.
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