Well-Known Biddulph Pub Closes for Revamp

A well-known Biddulph pub with an unusual name* has closed for a £300,000 overhaul starting next week to help it thrive for the long term.

The investment in The Roaring Meg on Pennine Way is being carried out by Heineken-owned Star Pubs and will turn the dated pub into a top-quality, family-friendly local, complete with brand-new games facilities and serving good food. The changes will see Hollie Jeffery – who grew up in Leek and whose grandparents ran pubs around Stoke-on-Trent – take the reins as the operator, running The Roaring Meg on behalf of Star Pubs.

The Roaring Meg will reopen in late May.

The external works will repaint the tired pub, installing new cladding, signage and lighting, enhancing the vicinity. The 100-seater garden will have a makeover too, with new furniture, parasols and festoon lighting.

A smart, contemporary décor will transform the inside of The Roaring Meg, upgrading it throughout and making it warmer and more welcoming. The extensive redecoration will encompass new flooring, soft furnishings and furniture, and the reupholstery of the fixed seating. Pictures of Biddulph, along with ornaments reflecting the origins of The Roaring Meg’s name and its links to Biddulph Old Hall, will adorn the pub. Feature wallpaper and light fittings will complete the look.

To cater for all, The Roaring Meg will have a comfortable lounge/dining area, a spacious bar with a new pool table, and a darts zone kitted out with two halo-lit darts boards with electronic scoring. A high-spec surround-sound AV system with six screens will show Sky and TNT Sports.

Other improvements include adding a coffee machine and refitting the kitchen to bring back food. The varied menu will have options for kids and will span burgers, pizza and curries, as well as pub classics like fish & chips and Sunday roasts. On the drinks front, a state-of-the-art dispense system will be added to ensure consistently perfect pints.

To enable The Roaring Meg to serve as a hub of the community, it will host a wide variety of activities, ranging from coffee mornings, bingo and board game sessions to DJs, karaoke and live entertainment. Ecke’s quiz night – which has been a much-loved staple of the pub for 25 years – will continue on Thursdays. The Roaring Meg will also offer room for local groups to hold meetings, and there will be fundraisers in aid of good causes selected by regulars, plus special events on key occasions like Halloween and Christmas. Sports fans will be well looked after too, with pool and darts teams and screenings of all the major tournaments.

Says Hollie, who has worked in pubs in the Leek area since leaving school: “I used to visit my grandparents in their pubs as a child and have wanted to run one for as long as I can remember. The Roaring Meg is just what I’ve been looking for – a family-oriented community pub in a friendly town that I know. It’s in need of TLC now, but it will look fantastic once the works are completed. There’s lots of excitement about the refurbishment. I can’t wait to open the doors and show people their new-look local. We’ll be marking the occasion with a Returners’ Quiz by Ecke and a DJ and party.”

Adds Star Pubs’ business development manager, Paul Alldis: “We’re delighted to be investing in The Roaring Meg and giving it a new lease of life. As the only pub in the immediate vicinity, it’s an important gathering place. We want to create a great local for residents on their doorsteps; from good pub food to sports and events, there’ll be lots of reasons to visit and something for everyone. We’re working flat out to reopen in time for the second May bank holiday weekend.”

*The Roaring Meg is named after a cannon used by Parliamentarians besieging Royalists in nearby Biddulph Old Hall in 1644. The pub is thought to be one of the very few in England to be named The Roaring Meg.