The Dark Heart of the Black Country

THE LAST POST - AND IT'S BAD NEWS! (12/08/24)

The original post is below - followed by some updates.

Many of you will know that the management of Black Country Ales got their way and forced the removal of Malt and Hops from The Welly. A kindly staff member took them on, but this disgraceful episode should never have happened.

Messrs McMeeking, Manwaring and Walker ignored a petition with over 5,000 signatures and toughed the decision out in the face of the almost total opposition of customers. 

Incidentally, one of BCA's biggest fans - before this outrage - states that Angus McMeeking suggested getting a cat in the first place to deal with mouse infestation!!!!

Farewell, Malt and Hops - you brought so much joy to so many. We shall remember you - and the heartless xxxxxxxx who threw you out.

LATEST NEWS AS AT SUNDAY 28th JULY #Catgate

Our visitor from Wales arrived yesterday and another friend from joined us. We boycotted The Welly in favour of The Colmore and the Post Office Vaults, and a jolly good time was had by all.

We picked up:

1   Further allegations (and they are only allegations) of further Black Country Ales (BCA or Be Cruel to Animals) bullying of legendary licensee, Nige Barker. Curiously, someone also wrote to The Skidder yesterday saying:

"Do some digging. The Welly has a unique deal with BCA and the only way to end it is to get rid of Nigel. The plan is to move a publican more in line with their ethics in there".

Perhaps Nige should be having a quiet word with m'learned friends?

Incidentally, BCA has been having a lot of problems hiring licensees lately. Is it any wonder if this affair is typical of top management's behaviour? Oh, and these geniuses also made a complete pig's ear of the recent replacement of the landlord at The Midland, Bearwood!

2   BCA is also said to have been bullying staff and threatening them with a "gross misconduct" charge if they post ANYTHING about #Catgate. And we learnt yesterday that an extremely popular staff member resigned on Friday in disgust at BCA's conduct. What a Company!

3   If one ignores the alleged sub-plot to defenestrate Nige, the real reason McMeeking, Manwaring and Walker is using for the eviction of the cats is said to be that BCA don't want the cats somehow messing-up the new carpets and furnishings. How different from 2017 as pointed out by "Singer of Songs" on X (Twitter):

Earlier #Catgate posts below ...

LATEST NEWS AS AT FRIDAY 26th JULY - INCLUDING BCA'S BIG LIE!

The golden rule when politicians and business folk are caught out is to lie, and that is precisely what Black Country Ales has done in #Catgate - their "top" [sic] management's decision to evict the pub cats from The Wellington Pub in Birmingham City Centre.

Yesterday, The Skidder was informed that Area Manager, Anthony Walker, had said that Malt and Hops are to be evicted since the management did not want them soiling the new carpets! As we shall see, this appears to be the real reason this (now) greedy pubco wants to put two fingers up to its staff and customers who are overwhelmingly hostile to the cruel eviction.

It gets worse. Firstly the three guilty men responsible for this obnoxious decision (pictured) have hidden from the media - including The Skidder - rather than having the b**** to try and defend the indefensible. This was a further email I sent to Black Country Ales yesterday which, again, received no reply:

L-R Angus MacMeeking, Anthony Walker, Graham Manwaring

Email - 25/07/24

"For the attention of Graham Manwaring and Anthony Walker

THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION - PRESS ENQUIRY

It is disappointing that the two of you are blanking media enquiries about your nasty decision to remove Malt and Hops from The Welly.

I was in two pubs (not BCA ones) in Brum last night and this outrage was a major topic of conversation. As one bloke said, "BCA has managed to unite the entire Brum pub community against it". BCA was also compared to Ryanair for its utter contempt for its customers.

Rumours abound and I want to give you another chance to "man-up" and start answering media and other enquiries.

Rumour 1 - that The Welly is to undergo a major refurb and you intend to make it more "corporate". Indeed it was said this goes for the whole BCA chain which is moving from a friendly outfit to a corporate behemoth. Is this the direction of travel? And can we expect Doom Bar at The Welly anytime soon?

Rumour 2 - notwithstanding the upset you have caused the staff at The Welly you have ordered them to stop posting pics of Malt and Hops on Instagram/Facebook.

It was also claimed that BCA does not actually own Malt and Hops. They are registered to an individual. If this is true have you contacted him for permission to re-home the unfortunate creatures?

Have you looked at the Google Reviews for The Welly? I am not just talking about the ones in the last few days which are unanimously hostile to BCA but going back in time. Some of us were looking last night. It is quite clear that Malt & Hops are extremely popular and feature most favourably in almost all the reviews. Why are you ignoring your customers?

It is not cowardly to reverse a bad decision. It is cowardly to stick with one."

Last night Black Country Ales top management finally put out a mealy-mouthed and disingenuous statement including a massive lie about the death of a cat:

FACT CHECK:

1   There is an long history of cats at The Welly. Before Malt and Hops there was the wonderful Welly. Cats did not "come in" with the virus;

2   One of three cats died with the implication that the environment is, somehow, dangerous. This is an outright lie by McMeeking, Manwaring and Walker. A person known to me and with Welly connections posted in reply:

"Also a f***** lie!!!!! The third cat lived at another pub for a bit, and then was re-homed when The Woodman closed. He is very much alive!

And:

"Absolute complete and utter b******! There was no dead third kitten."

Having just lost our beloved 18 1/2 year old cat I am even further outraged that the management could use a mythical DEAD cat to try to justify this insanity!

3   There is a smear that the cats are somehow a hygiene problem. As above the Google Reviews are overwhelmingly positive about their presence. Indeed some people visit the pub BECAUSE of the cats! The Welly does NOT serve food. It allows customers to bring their own. I have enjoyed pints of beer and sandwiches in The Welly for YEARS without harassment from cats. And whilst I don't support a dog ban either, Black Country Ales boast that at least 48 of their pubs are "dog-friendly". Try eating in a pub with a dog nearby and see what happens!. Also, anyone who knows you can take your own food into The Welly will already know that cats are present. I know of no-one who has avoided the pub because of the cats. This is just a pathetic comment intended to deceive.

4   The licensee of The Welly is the legendary Nige Barker - probably the man who has done more to keep real ale in Brum from the dark days of corporate keg than anyone else. And he is known well beyond our City for his championing of pubs and real ale. Whilst it is true to say that Nige is not, himself, a "cat-person", he has played host to Welly, and then Malt and Hops, for YEARS. The Management allege that he backs the decision. Sources close to The Welly claim that BCA management put the arm on him and, as one informant told me, "gave him no choice". What a Company to work for if management have to bully Nige and other staff to force through their crazed diktats.

5   Many people who live in flats keep cats permanently indoors. As a long-standing cat-owner, none of the Welly cats have ever appeared to be distressed, and the present incumbents are in magnificent condition.

When caught out with their big lie the management trio simply removed it from their Facebook "statement". They think their customers are stupid already, but did they really think no-one would notice?:

Now you see it, now you don't ...

But I am told that the battle to save Malt and Hops is lost. The macho management trio is doubling down on the decision, and the cats are going next week. They simply cannot get away with this!

Finally, in my original post I opined that the beer brewed by Black Country Ales is not great. One person posted on social media:

"If [Black Country Ales are] looking to give customers a better experience - keep the cats and ban Black Country Ales beers!

Oh, and we are hosting visitors to Brum tomorrow and our foursome were looking forward to a trip to The Welly. We are going to The Colmore instead. Why don't you join us?

THE ORIGINAL POST:

I have never taken LSD but imagine the effect is akin to walking into The Prince of Wales pub in Birmingham (the one behind the ICC). This Black Country Ales hostelry is decorated in the appalling "house style", but the intended effect is amplified here by the pub's small footprint. One is greeted upon entry with myriad psychedelic swirls of colour causing a bilious effect before one has touched the fine products on sale.

Prince of Wales, Cambridge Street, Brum

Alas, the style [sic] has been rolled-out across the burgeoning Black Country Ales estate, and you are likely to encounter it in the majority of their usually excellent pubs. Mostly the paisley psychedelia is matched with hideous nicotine-coloured faux "wooden" pannelling  - the colour being reminiscent of pub ceilings of yore.

Black Country Ales, brewing in Gornal and now boasting an estate of over 50 pubs, is a great local success story. To my taste its brewed beers are inconsequential - Bathams or Holdens it ain't. But, apart from the decor, most of the pubs are great with a splendid choice of beers always available in addition to the own-brand stuff. These are real - usually wet-led - boozers. In Sandwell there is The Midland in Bearwood. which is coming back to top form after a change of landlord. Stu at The Three Horseshoes at Hill Top, West Brom is always welcoming and its well-worth a visit. For geographical reasons I seldom get  to the superb Rising Sun in Tipton - a watering-hole favoured by Sandwell Tories although I expect they now hold their gatherings in a telephone box.

[A reader has correctly pointed out that BCA run two other pubs in the Sandwell poverty ghetto.]

Despite my comments above, The Prince of Wales in Brum is friendly and usually boasts a fine array of ales but, of course, BCA's jewel in the crown is The Welly - Birmingham's famous and best pub. This place - actually "The Wellington" - has been a major part of my life history - long before BCA took it over. It is not to everyone's taste. Visitors using the tradesman's entrance can be disconcerted by the infamous "Rat Alley". The pub also has an unpleasant odour which offends some sensitive souls. But what a classic! Captained by the legendary Nige Barker with a brilliant crew, this place is the real deal. BCA made an inspired decision to add a "roof terrace" - not quite one overlooking a Florentine Piazza  as it only affords panoramic vistas of the aforementioned Rat Alley - but its much-loved. And believe me, you would be amazed at the number of weekenders arriving in our bankrupt City whom I have directed from New Street Station to Bennetts Hill. It is THE first port of call for any beer-drinkers in town.

BUT ... 

The Welly has been blessed by lovely pub cats. The present incumbents - although not for long if BCA gets its way - are Malt and Hops. These characters bring great joy to the staff and customers alike, and have become minor social media celebs. The pub's advertising board says it all:

And visitors DO come in and ask where these lovelies are if they are not immediately visible (though they may be hiding under coats by the bar!) And here the beauties are:

Many folk around the WORLD have loved seeing Malt and Hops on social media, and one featured in probably one of the greatest pub cat photos of all time with super-staffer Matt:

Now the brewery management has inexplicably demanded their eviction. No-one who uses the pub can tell me the reason for the nasty and pitiless decision. 

The mainstream media report that they cannot get any answer from BCA and neither can The Skidder. An email to the area manager on Monday received no reply:

"THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION - PRESS ENQUIRY 

I have seen much on social media tonight that BCA are seeking to remove Malt and Hops - the Welly's favourite cats.

Can you please provide an immediate statement for Skidder readers why BCA are apparently taking this extraordinary course of action?"

If you are "managers" please at least have the guts to explain decisions!

In the meantime, a grassroots campaign has started to reverse the absurd decision:

PLEASE HELP US SAVE MALT & HOPS!

There is also a petition if you cannot contact Black Country Ales directly:

The link to the petition is here:

https://www.change.org/p/stop-malt-hops-getting-evicted?source_location=search

Black Country Ales was started by a really great guy called Angus McMeeking. He has built a magnificent chain, and has enormous wit and charm. Physically (so I understand), and metaphorically, he has b*lls. Angus has stepped down from day-to-day management of the wonderful business he has created. Angus - PLEASE - now is the time to step back in and stop this nonsense!

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