A REVAMPED Lichfield city centre pub threw open its doors for a VIP launch event.
The Beacon’s buzzy, relaxed and welcoming vibe – with its soft lighting and green, rust and brown tones – was a far cry from its previous incarnation as The Pig.
Distinctly unwelcoming, that was a pub that you didn’t want to stay long in, the smell driving you away before the limited variety of drinks and draughty atmosphere did.
Luckily, in taking the pub over, Titanic Brewery has changed all of that.
There was a good range of seating and leaning space, with plush booths, tables of varying heights and a cosy corner by the bar.
The simple outside space has been brightened up considerably by a bright yellow wall bearing the brewery’s logo.
Wanting it to be a classic pub experience, there is no food menu offered, but bar snacks, including pork pies and sausage rolls from Walter Smith butchers, are available.
The emphasis is on community and keeping things local, so even the crisps are from Staffordshire-based company Just Crisps.
Though bravely choosing a trial by fire by opening on the same week as the Lichfield Food Festival and the Bank Holiday Weekend, returning to the pub a few days later to see how things were faring, there was no sign that this had proved a challenge – indeed, it was just as busy as before.
It seems therefore, that just like its name suggests, this pub will be a guiding light in the city.
That’s a very harsh appraisal of the Pig. Possibly true of the earlier still Pig & Whitle, but, when in bh Derby Brewing Co, it was perfectly fine and had a wide selection of ales
What “smell “? I found the Pig welcoming pub
I quite liked the Pig, but I can confirm there was definitely an odd whiff down the right hand side of the pub at times…
The Pig as it was back in the mid to late 2010s did have ropey look about it, plenty of geezers that looked like extra’s in Lock, Stock and Two smoking barrels puffing on a fag outside and the atrocious screech of Karaoke
The Pig as I recall it:
Mid to late 2010s – Exactly as described by Beady Eye.
2019 – Taken over and refurbished by Derby Brewery Co. Now decent with a good selection of ales.
March 2020 – Lockdown, I was in there when it was announced and the town was cleared ~21:00.
May 2020 Onwards – When rules started to relax they introduced table service ordered through a Derby Brewery Co. app. This worked quite well.
When normality eventually returned The Pig seemed to slip back to mid to late 2010s level, there was one time when they had no draught beer and sold bottled instead, we were straight in and out.
2023 – Closed down.
Haven’t yet visited The Beacon but intend to and wish it the best.
PS. There was always a drain like whiff around the right hand side of the bar as you face it, hopefully the new refurbishment has cleared that up.