Dog Inn at Ludham Bridge for sale

[ranworthbreeze]

I understand that the Dog Inn at Ludham Bridge is for sale.

http://www.daltonsbusiness.com/pubs-for-sale/successful-local-pub-in-the-norfolk-broa-norfolk-broads-norfolk-uk/347082

Regards

Alan

[Bonzo]

Shame to hear the news. Jeff and his crew really tried hard to make the pub one of the best on the Broads.

 

Best of luck Jeff in whatever venture you are going to pursue.

[NorfolkNog]

Hi Alan

 

The lease has been for sale since last year although Geoff and Lorraine are still en situ. I'll be very sorry to see them go, one of the best pubs on the Broads (IMHO of course)

[Polly]

It's a very hard trade, I think. Best wishes to the team in whatever they do next.

[SweetKingfisher1]

A very sad story for another Broads pub going   . How many more will the Broads lose this year   ?

 

Regards

Marina  

[NorfolkNog]

Hi All

 

Just to clarify, it is the lease which is up for sale but in the meantime Geoff and Lorraine are still running the pub. It is owned by the Wellington pub co. Hopefully a buyer can be found for the lease who will continue with the good work that Geoff and Lorraine have done. It is a very tough time for all pubs at the moment and hopefully we will all do our best to support them.  I do rate the Dog as one of the best pubs on the Broads (in my humble opinion of course)  

 

[Fish Finder]

I had heard that the lease is not a great one  very  expensive  and the chain  are VERY inflexible regarding payments . im sure that if pub chains were more understanding and less greedy  that our broadland pubs would actually retain a bit of longevity . but as is many tennants  are being squeezed out by high rents / leases,forced into buying their beer from the chains themselves who charge extortionate prices for their wares v cheap booze in supermarkets.

 

The cost of pint in pub is almost 3 times what a supermarket sells  a similar quantity for  and needs to be because the publican needs to survive . trouble is pub trade is at its lowest point since wwii people can buy cheap booze in supermarkets  and sit in the comfort of their own surroundings  and smoke if they so wish  whereas pubs are more expensive and the smoking ban killed a lot of trade off too ( not that I smoke )  but i can see why people would choose home over pub nowadays

[LondonRascal]

I think one has to remember what a Pub actually is and provides for.

 

While you can buy cheaper beer and wine and spirits from the likes of Tesco, you don't bring the atmosphere of the pub home.  Some might say that is a good thing because the atmosphere of some pubs is pretty dire with old furniture and decor making it the sort of place you would not want to settle down for a session of drinking with friends or perhaps eating a meal too.

 

The White Horse at Nettishead has had a great deal of money spent to bring it up to a place people would feel comfortable, indeed make a destination for.  Sure it is not going to be everyone's cup of tea  but it is a damn sight nicer than it ever was prior to refurbishment.  Once you are there they have a great choice of drinks and good food and, with a varied mix of people enjoying a place you have a lively interesting atmosphere - something you can't get at home and makes an evening all the more enjoyable.

 

So a pub really needs to try and be someone that is almost comforting to go to, relaxing friendly warm and welcome inside then with a good range of drinks for many tastes - and if it was myself doing food, no nonsense good filling grub that did not contain tinned vegetables or 'Makro' bought frozen onion rings and burger baps.  You can do things well without needing to charge silly prices for the likes of a burger or a pie I am surprised to be honest how people will rate food at some Broadland pubs as very good - yet in my experience such contain things like pre formed onion rings on the side not freshly made ones, or clearly frozen steak cut style chips not some good fat fluffy fresh ones and then to serve with some unbranded tasteless ketchup in a sachet just makes me sigh.

 

Where I live, what has begun to pop up are 'bistro bars' they serve good food, great range of non alcoholic drinks and quality ground Italian coffee, world beers and wines an outside heated and covered patio area with live music on weekends.  They are packed with people from different countries and age groups and a great vibe goes on well into the night - meanwhile the local pubs like Whetherspoon with a mix of old odd souls slowly getting swozzled shouting randomly and younger student types on cheap pitchers of cocktails doing the pre-clubbing booze up - of course there are some old places that have gone through what I call the 'Islington look' it has to have bare brick walls, wood floors and lots of mushroom and grey coloured paint slapped around and prices that go from being shown as '£10.50' to  '10 1/2'. 

 

Thank god Broadland is not like north London in some respects, but in others I wonder if the day of the pub is transitioning  to a place where you can get good food, and carries range of drinks in an atmosphere where you would not be seen as the odd one out having a coffee sat with a laptop as a group working their way around European beers or some others tasted the local Ales and knowing later on some good music would be on.  I might be talking about cloud cookoo land here or how it may go one day.

[Soundings]

It is a shame. What with the general state of affairs at the Broadshaven (which is not great anyway) and the Falgate being up for sale, the future does not look bright. The biggest problem is likely to be the winter months when there is not enough local trade to keep the pubs going - on a couple of occasions I have dropped into The Dog on a music night in winter and I doubt the pub's takings did much more than cover the cost of the band. Come to think of it, The Dog is pretty isolated which will not help but the same cannot be said of the Broadshaven or the Falgate.

[Chelsea14Ian]

This weekend was our first on the boat.friday at the kings head at Loddon the food was simple but good.The atmosphere very good,lunch at the ship Reedham, last night the white horse at Chedgrave.Again the food and atmosphere very good.

 

Also we noticed the Nelson,Reedham a lot of work appears to be going on,any info anyone.

 

Ian