The Black Cock Inn in Blythe Bridge is the last pub standing in the village, and under the leadership of a father-and-son team since 2021, it has become a thriving community hub. With no prior pub experience, they stepped in post-pandemic with a vision: to create something new, accessible, and entirely community-focused. From charity quiz nights to village-wide festivals, The Black Cock has redefined what a village pub can be.
Over the past three years, the Black Cock Inn has introduced a huge variety of activities to bring people together:
- Improved Accessibility: Installed disabled facilities to make the pub fully accessible.
- Flexible Opening Hours: Catered to elderly patrons and shift workers by expanding hours.
- Charity Events: Regularly runs race nights, raffles, live music, quizzes, and mini-festivals to raise funds for local causes.
- Food Innovation: Invited food pop-ups like Jamaican, Greek, and Thai vendors to offer cuisine not available elsewhere in the village.
- Unique Entertainment: Music bingo, game show-style events, and high-energy live acts.
- Community Flagship Events:
- The Keg Run: Teams transport a 50-litre keg around a 400m track for charity. Over 30 volunteers supported the event.
- Christmas Light Switch-On: Featuring Santa, choirs, free glow sticks and mince pies.
Both flagship events saw over 300 attendees each, remarkable for a venue with just 46 indoor seats.
The village has fully embraced the pub’s new direction. Locals now look forward to these events and regularly volunteer their time and skills to make them happen. From baking cakes to setting up marquees and performing music, it’s a full community effort.
The Black Cock Inn proves that with fresh ideas and genuine heart, a pub can rebuild the spirit of a whole village. The vision, energy, and community commitment behind its events make it a standout example of modern pub leadership with traditional values at its core.
