THE OWNERS of a Shinfield pub have called last orders for the final time.
Mike Clegg and Claire Hawkins, who have run The Black Boy in Shinfield Road for nearly nine years, have made the decision to sell the lease of the pub to Surrey-based Baron’s Pub Company Ltd.
Mr Clegg and Ms Hawkins have seen a lot of changes during their time at the pub, most recently the building of the Shinfield Eastern Relief Road which is taking place right outside the front door.
The pub temporarily closed on 5pm on Sunday, with Baron’s officially taking over the pub on Monday, January 16. The pub will remain closed while it is given a make-over, but a reopening date has yet to be announced.
In a statement on the pub’s website, the outgoing owners thanked their customers, suppliers and team members for their years of loyal support.
The statement said: “Since April 2008 Mike and I have had the pleasure of owning the lease at the Black Boy. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here; we are so proud of our achievements and the difference we have made to this establishment over the years. We have been lucky enough to have met some wonderful people and have had many great and memorable experiences.
“Now the time has come for us to move on and start the next chapter in our lives.
“We have decided to sell the lease at The Black Boy and we are selling it to Baron’s Pub Company Ltd. We know the Black Boy will be in good hands under the ownership of Company Director, Clive Price and the Company’s operations Director Helen Pillinger. They have many exciting plans for the Black Boy and we are looking forward to seeing the changes are they will make, we hope all of you will be excited too and join us in wishing them every success here.
“Baron’s Pub Company will be taking over on Monday 16th January but the business will remain closed until the make over is complete. Please continue to check the page for updates from the Baron’s team! For more information, bookings, general enquiries or job vacancies email info@baronspubs.com or visit the website www.baronspubs.com.
“We would like to thank our customers, suppliers, team members past and present and everyone who has supported us in our journey at The Black Boy. We wish you all the very best for the future.”
