Monday, 4 November 2013

Well, someone believes in pubs

For once, here’s a story of pub advance rather than pub retreat. The two pictures to the right show the Flying Horse, an impressively large, brand new pub close to Manchester Airport which is due to open next Monday. The specific location is here. Many people would think of this as Heald Green, but in fact it’s just over the border into Manchester.

However, leaps of joy may be cut short for some on learning that it’s the latest branch of Greene King’s Hungry Horse chain.

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7 comments:

  1. Cooking Lager4 November 2013 at 19:23

    I thought by Mudgie rules that's a pub themed kindergarten rather than a pub?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bill4 November 2013 at 19:32

    @Cookie, at least you can get a beer in there. Even if it's only Greene King IPA.
    @Mudgie, Greene King/Hungry Horse seem to be expanding their estate, they have just opened a brand new pub in Bristol. There were the usual and predictable wails of horror but it got permission and is now open.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Curmudgeon4 November 2013 at 19:32

    Nice pictures though, Cookie. The sun sometimes shines even oop 'ere in t'grim North.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Paul Bailey4 November 2013 at 20:54

    The Robin Hood, in the Sherwood area of Tunbridge Wells, recently re-opened as a Hungry Horse. I haven't visited yet, but there have been good reports, and the pub is doing a good trade.

    The pub was shut down suddenly, last August, and put up for sale. I can't remember whether the culprits were Entreprise or Punch, but I suspect the former, as the Robin Hood was an ex-Whitbread pub.

    Occupying a large footprint, the pub was adververtised as "ripe for redevelopment", with the potential to cram 25 flats onto the site. Fortunately Greene King recognised the pub's potential and stepped in to save the day.

    Certain CAMRA members might knock Greene King, but without their intervention here, the pub would now be a pile of rubble, followed by a building site!

    ReplyDelete
  5. ElectricPics5 November 2013 at 21:29

    Hungry Horse aka Greene King have just opened a new build not far from me, the Walls Ends, at, well, Wallsend. Same formula that I'd rather not be seen dead in - McDonalds with beer, a play area and more 'grown-up' food.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Martin, Cambridge6 November 2013 at 21:56

    I've had decent beer on the handful of occasions I've been in one (a couple have made the Beer Guide - Mansfield and Colne I think), which probably reflects high turnover, cheap prices and big brewery standards. The food was less enjoyable, suffering compared to Spoons and the new build Marstons pubs.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sat In A Pub8 November 2013 at 08:43

    However, leaps of joy may be cut short for some on learning that it’s the latest branch of Greene King’s Hungry Horse chain

    You give with one hand and take with the other...

    ReplyDelete

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