No prior experience not a problem for Ben at helm of popular pub

Taking over a pub can be a tough task for anyone, but especially during an international health crisis.

Add to that no prior experience of running a pub and you have Ben Stanford, the current landlord of the historic George & Dragon pub in Much Wenlock.

Mr Stanford became the latest incumbent of the position of running the pub in 2021, having helped the previous management during the Covid-19 lockdown after selling the family business and finding he was slowly 'going mad' attempting to home-school his children.

He said: "My children, at the time, didn't want to do any school work, with my youngest having started first year reception and not understanding what school was about, so I was finding I was going mad and needed a change.

"My sister-in-law was, at the time, working at the pub and I knew the owners and was asked if I fancied doing part-time hours, so I decided to do so as it was a good way to meet some other grown ups.

"I and my wife Kate ended up doing a bit more, running a takeaway service where if we could fry it and put it in a box, we did it. Then I started doing more and more and when it came to January 2021, I took over the pub as the owners found they had businesses elsewhere with pent up demand."

The George & Dragon is an historic pub set in the middle of the small market town, close to the Guildhall, parish church, museum and Wenlock Priory and is hidden behind an attractive but unassuming frontage.

It has proclaimed itself "The best pub in the world" and is a popular location with visitors and locals alike, providing three regular ales and two changing guest ales, all on hand-pull, with at least two beers from Shropshire breweries.

Additionally, it has a beam over the fireplace in the front bar with carved initials and dates of former licensees, all members of the Yates family, who held the licence from 1835 to 1958, and has plenty of old timbers in the bar, plus a large fireplace and mantel shelf.

Mr Stanford said it was a huge step up to take over a pub, having never done so before, but found his previous business knowledge had helped him.

He said: "I'd been in the pub plenty of times as a user, but I've run a couple of businesses and my background is in retail and telco (telecommunications) technology, so I've always enjoyed the customer service side of things.

"We also inherited a team that had been here previously, with the guys who were furloughed, and we've brought people in and done a lot of training and building of the team here, so we have a good thing going here.

"It's just a lovely building with a nice atmosphere and has been really well supported by the locals who, when it was closed for a six-month period between tenants in the past, said they really missed the place."

Mr Stanford said there were challenges at present with the rise in fuel costs, but said he had looked at ways of securing the future of the pub.

He said: "We have had to adapt to rising costs as after all the discounts had run out from Government help, we have ended up paying around £650 a week.

"We've had to amend our prices a bit, as well as change our menu and operating times, but everyone has been on board with this as they understand it's for the right reasons.

"We have also looked at setting up an outside bar to have the ability to do weddings, and we've also taken on a cottage in town, with the idea of using it as an Airbnb, which will cover the electric increase, and offer people staying there a discount at the pub.

"It will all work out though as what makes this pub is the customers as everyone behaves themselves and appreciates the hard work that goes into running the pub from the staff."