A thriving Midlands pub has found that a traditional ale from a
very special local brewery is proving a real mouthful for locals
and tourists alike.
Despite the general downturn in the pub market the Swan Inn in
Fradley between Burton and Lichfield is toasting the success of its
unique 'Mucky Duck' ale produced by Quartz Brewing in nearby Kings
Bromley - after serving over 1,000 pints a month to its customers
for almost 2 years.
Landlord Rick O'Kane and his partner, Tracy Reeve told us,
"Despite what is going on elsewhere, our pub is thriving. We
consciously make an effort to serve the best of local food
including ice cream and now, thanks to Quartz Brewing it can all be
washed down with a very special local ale only served in our
pub.
Our pub is known unofficially as The Mucky Duck - hence the name
of the ale which is brewed by Quartz for us. We get a good mix of
both locals and tourists here - many of whom are travelling the
canal.
James Thomas is Director of Premier Pubco., serving over 300
pubs in the Midlands area. He acted as the intermediary between the
two local businesses.
James said,
"Both businesses share the same qualities - they are family run,
their owners take a real pride in delivering up unique quality
products for their customers - and share the same high standards of
customer service. It is a perfect marriage of convenience and is a
great success story for the Midlands."
Julia Barnett told us,
"We are really grateful to the Premier Pub Company and the Swan
for putting their faith in us. The success of the 'Mucky Duck Ale
is part of a wider pattern that we are seeing in which customers
are voting with their palates - and we are working flat out to meet
demand - despite the closure of many pubs across the Midlands."