The landlord of a famous Oxford pub has revealed how many pints were served in its first year since reopening.
The Lamb & Flag in St Giles, one of the city’s oldest, closed in January 2021 due to adverse trading conditions in the pandemic.
But community interest group the Inklings stepped in to take over the running of the St John’s College-owned pub and it reopened on October 6 last year.
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It has enjoyed a busy first 12 months and landlord Dylan Dudbrige-Hay has revealed how many pints were served by staff in the first year back.
In the 12 months until October 6, the pub sold 144,172 pints of local beer, which roughly equates to one pint every 1.7 minutes it has been open.
It has also sold 5,891 gin and tonics, and over 2,000 sausage rolls – which are now one of the main snacks available, the pub having soon given up on the idea of serving a wider range of food from its limited kitchen area.
"We’ve hosted birthday parties, spirits tastings, live music, debates and book launches for the local community, and are excited for what’s to come over the next year and beyond.
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“It really has been a privilege to be a part of this fantastic pub’s history, and to reopen such a historic Oxford institution.
"Of course, it has been challenging at times, but we’ve rolled with both the good and the bad, and have come out on top, with a fantastic and busy pub, serving excellent local products and serving the community.”
The Inklings community venture which leases the pub from St John’s College made clear from the outset that it wanted to serve mainly local beer, whether on hand pumps or keg, and it has been true to its promise.
“Personal cask stand-outs of mine include Let the Dragon See the Wolf by the Oxford Brewery, Siamese Fighting Fish by Animal Brewing Co, Yabba Dabba Doo by Little Ox Brew Co (Champion Beer of Oxford again last year), and the very divisive Peeler, a Banana Milkshake IPA by Wild Weather.
"I have also loved the re-brews of Siren Craft’s four original beers: Liquid Mistress, Soundwave IPA, Undercurrent and Broken Dream (Champion Beer of Britain 2018), all re-brewed to celebrate Siren’s 10th anniversary.
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As the Lamb & Flag celebrates its first anniversary since reopening an announcement has been made about the Eagle and Child on the opposite side of St Giles.
It has been closed since the start of the pandemic but has now been bought by the Ellison Institute of Technology which plans to renovate it with the help of renowned designer Norman Foster.
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Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here.
He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.
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