The New Inn closed UFN

[lydfordcastle]

 

The Admiral Nelson at Braunston is trying to be both a pub and gastro , I hope it can survive but I fear it may not until it works out what it wants to be.

 

You could say the same about The Old Plough in Braunston. It used to be a nice welcoming pub selling good food. Called in last weekend and it was nearly empty ; and although the front of house staff were superb, they were badly let down by warm, flat beer and poor quality food. Standard greeting at the Boathouse is "There's a 45 minute wait for food tonight and best of luck in finding a table".

Braunston could really do with a good pub selling good beer and good food.

[Tuscan]

You could say the same about The Old Plough in Braunston. It used to be a nice welcoming pub selling good food. Called in last weekend and it was nearly empty ; and although the front of house staff were superb, they were badly let down by warm, flat beer and poor quality food. Standard greeting at the Boathouse is "There's a 45 minute wait for food tonight and best of luck in finding a table".

Braunston could really do with a good pub selling good beer and good food.

 

 

 

I believe the Old Plough has changed hands in the last 3 or 4 weeks. Hopefully not for the worst.

[alan_fincher]

You could say the same about The Old Plough in Braunston. It used to be a nice welcoming pub selling good food. Called in last weekend and it was nearly empty ; and although the front of house staff were superb, they were badly let down by warm, flat beer and poor quality food.

In recent years though, this pub though seemed incapable of providing food if more than about ten people wanted it in the same session.

 

Standard greeting at the Boathouse is "There's a 45 minute wait for food tonight and best of luck in finding a table".

Not our experience, and we use it fairly regularly.

 

Yes it gets busy, but even when the loud music in the beer tent at the Braunston Historic Boat Show caused a mass exodus there, they were operating a waiting list for tables both inside and outside, and working very hard to try and satisfy the demand.

 

Is being informed of a 45 minute wait for food at busy times that terrible ? I'd far rather be given a reasonable estimate of expected serving times than place an order somewhere, without being warned it could take a time to fulfil.

 

So far we have only had the opportunity to use the reopened Nelson as a drinking pub, and it seemed to be doing well. Can't comment on the food side of things, (yet!....)

[scrumpylurcher]

THe Plough has not recentley changed hands, the owners have revamped the inside and outside, possibly not before time. We had a drink in there during the week and at least it is clean inside, and the toilets are a vast improvement. I too wonder whether the new team in the Nelson are going to be able to suceed, however it is a pleasure to go in there now, the difference they have made inside is amazing. Unlike the Plough these changes are down to the tenannts not the owners.

[David Schweizer]

Back to the OP, I first visited the New Inn in the mid 1960's and if I remember correctly there was small shop in the end section which is now the lockside entrance. We always try to moor there overnight and have used the pub on many occassions and always found the food to be very good even if the menu is fairly basic pub food, I also usually take the opportunity to have a game of Northamptonshire skittles when I am in there

 

As for the comments about a few boaters spending £50, the writer of that comment clearly does not know the pub, it always has a good sized clientele and in mid summer is usually heaving so much that seats inside or outside are difficult to find, so lack of trade cannot be the problem.

 

I hope that it manages to re-open in the near future, and that it is allowed to retain it's traditional pub atmosphere, where no one minds if you are wearing very casual clothing and old boots.

Edited August 6, 2012 by David Schweizer

[Arphamoe]

Back to the OP, I first visited the New Inn in the mid 1960's and if I remember correctly there was small shop in the end section which is now the lockside entrance. We always try to moor there overnight and have used the pub on many occassions and always found the food to be very good even if the menu is fairly basic pub food, I also usually take the opportunity to have a game of Northamptonshire skittles when I am in there

 

As for the comments about a few boaters spending £50, the writer of that ill informed comment clearly does not know the pub, it always has a good sized clientele and in mid summer is usually heaving so much that seats inside or outside are difficult to find, so lack of trade cannot be the problem.

 

I hope that it manages to re-open in the near future, and that it is allowed to retain it's traditional pub atmosphere, where no one minds if you are wearing very casual clothing and old boots.

IIRC correctly, the shop you mention was actually in the adjoining house - Top Lock Cottage - which closed in the early/mid 80's! Same problem, unsustainable as a business when all the shopkeeping regulations started taking effect.

[twbm]

A few boaters spending £50 a night is surely exactly what that kind of business is about

 

What are you expecting, debutant's balls and champagne?

 

Richard

 

My point is that to survive a pub needs constant sustained trade at a level that covers the running costs, all year every year.

 

Edit: .. and for what it's worth, the wholesale price of Champagne is such that it's really not worth the hassle unless you can afford to buy in huge quantities or cater for lots of weddings etc.

 

I have not seen any debutant's balls so can not comment...

Edited August 6, 2012 by twbm

[David Schweizer]

My point is that to survive a pub needs constant sustained trade at a level that covers the running costs, all year every year.

Which is what the New Inn has (had). Most of the customers arrive by car, with only a handful being off boats.

[twbm]

 

As for the comments about a few boaters spending £50, the writer of that ill informed comment clearly does not know the pub, it always has a good sized clientele and in mid summer is usually heaving so much that seats inside or outside are difficult to find, so lack of trade cannot be the problem.

 

 

David, I know the pub. It gets busy during the boating season. It's often near enough empty in winter. Exibit A for the case that passing seasonal boat trade is insufficient is that it is shut. As for ill informed, I own a bar and have ploughed a considerable amount of money into building the business up to a point where it may just succeed. I know what the overheads are, I know how much the beer costs and what the profit margins are, I know how easy it is to get behind on the PAYE and VAT payments, I know how fickle the public can be. I know people want food free empty pubs so they can drink beer at 1970's prices undisturbed, I know that that business model fails weekly somewhere in the country.

 

Which is what the New Inn has (had). Most of the customers arrive by car, with only a handful being off boats.

 

The inference in earlier posts is that the closure is because of monies owed. In which case evidently not in recent times.

 

Edit - and there's another thing, as I've suggested in other 'lost pub' topics, the breatalyser has finally produced a generation of folk in their 20's onwards who won't drink and drive.

Edited August 6, 2012 by twbm

[David Schweizer]

IIRC correctly, the shop you mention was actually in the adjoining house - Top Lock Cottage - which closed in the early/mid 80's! Same problem, unsustainable as a business when all the shopkeeping regulations started taking effect.

You are correct that here was a shop at top lock cottage. However, I am fairly certain that was a more recent conversion of a store/workshop attached to the cottage, and that the original shop (where the "buckby" cans were sold) was attached to the pub.

 

Someone will now come up with a photo of the New Inn in the 1960's to prove me wrong.

Edited August 6, 2012 by David Schweizer

[GeoffS]

IIRC correctly, the shop you mention was actually in the adjoining house - Top Lock Cottage - which closed in the early/mid 80's! Same problem, unsustainable as a business when all the shopkeeping regulations started taking effect.

 

The owner of that shop wrote 2 books about the experience

 

http://www.amazon.co...=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

[ditchcrawler]

The owner of that shop wrote 2 books about the experience

 

http://www.amazon.co...=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

And they are quite a good read.

[ditchcrawler]

NBW has confirmed that the pub is shut http://www.narrowboatworld.com/index.php/leatest/4844-new-inn-closed-again

[Keeping Up]

NBW has confirmed that the pub is shut http://www.narrowboa...nn-closed-again

 

If anybody doubted it before, that is obviously all the proof they need

[Radiomariner]

A few boaters spending £50 a night is surely exactly what that kind of business is about

 

What are you expecting, debutant's balls and champagne?

 

Richard

I dont think debutanet's have balls

 

The inference in earlier posts is that the closure is because of monies owed. In which case evidently not in recent times.

.

 

I wish I had read this thread before I walked in the rain from bottom lock to top to quench my thirst and perhaps have a bite to eat a couple of weeks ago

 

Chatted to lock-keeper next day . He told me that the owner, (Not the landlord) was in dispute over VAT and that all of the owners businesses had been shut down by the IR.

This implied that it was not necessarily the pub that was making a loss. (But then again, the lock-keeper probably has as much knowledge about it as the rest of us!)

Edited September 14, 2012 by Radiomariner

[carlt]

I dont think debutant's have balls

 

They do you know...

 

Debutantes, on the other hand...

[Radiomariner]

They do you know...

 

Debutantes, on the other hand...

You're quite right of course. I misread and also copied the 'misread' word!!!!

Must add though, that debutant's do not necessarily have them. (and to be honest, I have also met a "balls'y" debutante, but not in the New Inn!)

[Arphamoe]

Good news! Workmen from various trades in attendance this week doing sterling work. Should be open by May - hope the new owners understand canals and canal folk! Greatly missed by the locals as well.

[Tuscan]

Good news! Workmen from various trades in attendance this week doing sterling work. Should be open by May - hope the new owners understand canals and canal folk! Greatly missed by the locals as well.

That's good news,

[Arphamoe]

_{More good news re the New Inn - called past there today and all the shuttering is now down and due to reopen this Sunday if all goes to plan. Total refurbishment almost complete, carpets gone down today and cellar being restocked! I'll be there to test the quality (all in the cause of customer satisfaction, of course!)}

Edited May 1, 2013 by Arphamoe

[ditchcrawler]

_{More good news re the New Inn - called past there today and all the shuttering is now down and due to reopen this Sunday if all goes to plan. Total refurbishment almost complete, carpets gone down today and cellar being restocked! I'll be there to test the quality (all in the cause of customer satisfaction, of course!)}

Someone has to do it. I hope the beer has settled by then

[Arphamoe]

Boards gone up outside this morning - opening noon Sunday! Looking good inside - signs being restored, lets hope they last. I'll report on the state of the products after careful consideration by late afternoon Sunday (unless I'm still in there!!)

Someone has to do it. I hope the beer has settled by then

[Arphamoe]

Well, the sunshine brought out the hordes, and I have to say that the new owners have done their bit! No substantial changes to the layout but much cleaner, new carpets and the quality of the beers was first class! Obvious teething troubles with lots of customers and new people and technology but I am sure that the future looks good for anyone passing. Food already on offer for 'softies' but, all in all, it'll do for me.

 

More reports later, I'm sure!

[solitude2]

Sounds good ! Are they dog friendly ? ( 4 legged variety )

[Arphamoe]

Dogs all over the place! Most well-behaved!!

Sounds good ! Are they dog friendly ? ( 4 legged variety )