'It's always been special ' - New managers take over popular Wolverhampton pub reopening this weekend
The new managers of a popular Wolverhampton pub on the edge of the Staffordshire countryside have spoken of their excitement at taking over and running a pub close to their hearts.
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The final touches have been put on the Barley Mow in Penn, a pub which sits in splendid isolation on the edge of Wolverhampton, overlooking Penn Common and the Penn Common Golf Club.
There were crews in taking up and replacing the carpets, installing new tills and electrics and giving the cellar and outside areas a full deep clean before the friends and family night on Friday and the full reopening on Saturday.
The Barley Mow has been part of the area for more than 500 years, having originally started life as a farm then, after being sold for around £1,000.
Owned and run by Punch Taverns, the running of the pub has been taken over by a group of locals who felt the pub was not living up the standards they wanted to see it run to, so decided to step up and take on the running of the pub.
Marc and Danielle Everitt are part of the management team, with both having been long-term customers at the pub, and Marc said he felt the pub had been unloved.
He said: "It might have been a moment of madness for us to take over the pub, but we just care about it so much and I felt it had been in a sorry state and we were fed up with coming down here and there might not be enough drink selection or the kitchen was closed.
"We just felt it was unloved and felt that we could put a bit of a local touch to it, having drunk here for 18 years, and I just think we have the right ideas to make it work."
Danielle said: "We want to bring it back to how it was as it's always been a community pub and it's always been a dog pub, which a lot of our punters loved about the place.
"It's always been special and always been a bit different to the other pubs in Penn, but it hasn't felt like that, as of late, so that's what we want to bring it back to."
The location of the pub makes it a great location for people walking on Penn Common or on the horse track out of Penn, as well as for cyclists and horse riders, and is also located just a few minutes walk from several large housing areas.
General manager Richard Wellington said he was looking forward to seeing the pub reopened, having also had a family link to it, and spoke about plans for the pub.
He said: "The standard I want to see for the pub is very high and we'll take it way back as one of the reasons why I decided to take on the general manager role was because this was my father's regular pub.
"I came here when I was two-years-old in my father's arms and I've met so many people over the years who have really adored and cherished this place, so we want to be able to create a real feeling of community here.
"We have events planned, such as regular strummers nights every Monday and multiple beer festivals in the summer, and I think the key thing to remember is that when you invest in your local community and look after them, then they will look after you.
"I'm just so excited and cannot wait to show everyone how we've brought this place up and the quality that we're going to be providing."
To find out more about the Barley Mow, go to the Barley Mow website.
