A TRADITIONAL country pub at the heart of an idyllic village is getting a new lease on life.
The Tiger’s Head, on Pytchleys Hollow, Norley, will be changing hands on November 27, and hospitable new landlords, Leigh Capon and Joanne Dewar, are inviting locals to join them for a celebration drink at 4pm.
With a combined 60 years’ experience running pubs between them, Norley locals and visitors to Delamere Forest may know the duo behind the ever-popular Carriers Inn on the bank of Hatchmere, just a mile down the road.
In a near-seamless transition, the 180-year-old Tiger’s Head will be serving its all-new food menu from Friday, December 1, and their festive Christmas Party menu from December 6.
Originally from Eastbourne, the couple feel improving The Tiger’s fortunes could be their way of giving back to a community which has welcomed them with open arms.
Joanne, who is a chef by trade, says they want to secure the pub's role at the centre of village life, but to give it a bit of a spruce-up, making it even more homely.
The 52-year-old said: “The Tiger’s Head is absolutely beautiful. It’s a lovely, lovely old pub.
“We’ve been at the Carriers for 18 months now, and it’s going better than we’d dared expect. But we’ve always wanted a second pub.
"We never thought the Tiger’s would come available, but when it did, we jumped at the chance.
“We get a huge amount of passing trade at the Carriers, being where it is. We get people visiting Hatchmere and the forest, and we get lots of holidaymakers.
"The Tiger’s is different. First and foremost, it’s a village pub, and in our opinion, it should remain one.
"We just want to put the love back into it, so it will always remains at the centre of the community. Norley deserves a pub of its own.
"Also, the business we’ve created down at the Carriers has outgrown the building itself, and we often have to turn food customers away.
"The Tiger’s will be a sister pub, so we’ll be able to direct people there.
"The food on offer will be similar – pub classics, made well - but with a few differences, and dare I say it, a few surprises.
"The main thing is, we want it to be looked after and loved, and at the end of the day, not to close. That’s a real danger for pubs in villages.
"We’re also investing in the kitchen, as right now, it’s not what we need.
“A country pub just can’t run on drink alone anymore. You’ve got to do good food.”
Joanne said it’s important for her and Leigh to invest in their team, which is currently 15-strong at the Carriers.
“We work really hard on their training programmes, and we’ll be taking our second chef over to the Tiger’s with a view to him being the new head chef.
“We’d also like to invite everyone to our two free New Year’s parties. We’ve got local Irish band, The Lynchpins, at the Tiger’s Head, and we’re hold a Hollywood glamour night at the Carriers.
"Everyone's welcome.”
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