LINCOLNSHIRE PUBLICANS HONOURED WITH PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

The publicans of a much-loved Lincolnshire village pub have been honoured with a prestigious award to mark their 30th anniversary at the reins.

The long-service award from the pub’s owners, Star Pubs & Bars, recognises the contribution that Mike Brown and his son Wayne Brown have made to The Anglers in Saxilby over three decades.  

75-year old Mike – who has lived in Saxilby since 1950 – became the publican of The Anglers in 1993 after a career as an electrician. Former accountant Wayne took the helm during the pandemic, having helped out at the pub since Mark started out. Mike has not called time yet, however, and remains a key member of the team, gardening and undertaking essential maintenance to ensure the pub remains an attractive feature of the village’s high street.

Known for serving a great pint and some say the best Guinness in Lincolnshire, The Anglers is the last traditional local in Saxilby. A hub of the community, it supports village events like the Christmas tree illumination ceremony, hosts a bi-monthly farmers’ market in its car park and raises more than £5,000 a year for local good causes, such as the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance and St Barnabas Hospice. The pub provides free space for clubs and groups to meet and for local residents to celebrate special occasions from wedding anniversaries to baby showers. There is also an array of activities to get people together, including rock & roll bingo, entertainment nights, cribbage and even a fishing competition. Sports enthusiasts are well catered for, too. The pub has pool and darts, sponsors it owns football team, Anglers FC (current village champions) and screens all major sporting tournaments. 

During their tenure the Browns have invested more than £40,000 to keep The Anglers in top condition. The pub is believed to date back to the mid 1800s*, and the family has retained its traditional feel with horse brasses and pictures of The Anglers and Saxilby through the ages on the wall. To further bring out its character, Wayne is about to undertake more renovations, removing a false ceiling to reveal the pub’s original beams. 

Says Mike: “I’ve loved my time at The Anglers and, at my age, feel very lucky to still be involved in a job I enjoy so much. The customers make The Anglers special; it’s like a big family with a wonderfully friendly atmosphere. It’s brilliant to see Wayne  take over. I know The Anglers is in safe hands.”

The Browns could end up clocking up half a century at The Anglers. 

Comments Wayne: “I’ll stay here as long as the villagers want The Anglers. Running the pub is in my blood. Like dad I love the job and being involved in the community. The Anglers has been here for nearly 200 years, and I want to preserve it for future generations.”

Adds Star Pubs & Bars’ area manager Dan Littlewood: ”It’s a great honour to present this award. The Anglers is a thriving local with a loyal following, and it’s all down to Mike and Wayne’s hard work. The family has put their all into the pub; it’s a real asset to the community. We wish them many more happy years!”

*Originally called The Railway because of its position next to the station, the pub was renamed The Anglers after the Second World War in recognition of the many fisherman from Sheffield who travelled by train to Saxilby to fish in the Fossdyke Navigation. A 32-pound pike brought into the pub by a fisherman from Sheffield still has pride of place in The Anglers.