Bar News

A premises licence application has gone in for 18 Churchill Way, which I am assuming is this:

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/ ... y-19889374

This was granted today. It seemed a solid application but I wonder if the relative ease with which it went through is an indication of a shift in policy, or at least the way in which the cumulative impact policy is implemented.

Given that the Prince of Wales main outside space is now overshadowed by the interchange, and people's habits may have changed following covid, this roof garden makes a lot of sense.

Taking over the empty bookmakers is also welcome

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/ ... 674872.amp

Given their customer demographic having outdoor spaces for smokers must be an important part of the offer for JDW. That pub is going to be enormous if this goes ahead though.

I have very mixed feelings about Spoons. The respect they show towards historic buildings is admirable and the food and drink offer is very good value. I have trouble in getting past how obnoxious the owner appears to be though.

'The Goat Major' has reverted its name back to 'The Blue Bell', anyone know what has brought on this change?

Brains didn't want to keep it apparently (this is friend who's a friend of the ex manager level of remoteness!). The new owners opted to change the name back.
The new website has links to the philharmonic so same company I guess.
Not 100% on all this.

'The Goat Major' has reverted its name back to 'The Blue Bell', anyone know what has brought on this change?

Quite right too!

I hate it when historic pub names get changed for no real reason.

Remember when the Queen's Vaults was the Flyhalf & Firkin or the Cambrian was Kitty Flynn's? Just in my own lifetime, the Tennis Courts / Owain Glyndwr must have had half a dozen names.

That's doesn't mean that I think it should be illegal or anything, it's just something that bugs me.

I believe Nick Newman, chair of the Cardiff Licensees Forum is running it for Croeso Pubs (Brewhouse, Philharmonic, Retro) so it's likely he's had a say in it returning to the original name given his experience in the city.

'The Goat Major' has reverted its name back to 'The Blue Bell', anyone know what has brought on this change?

And oddly, The Blue Bell in St Mellons has changed its name to The Church Inn.

So it's one Blue Bell in, and one Blue Bell out.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57328489

A landlord accused of destroying history by renaming a pub that is more than 200 years old has actually restored its original name.

The pub, on Cardiff's High Street, originally opened as Blue Bell in 1813, but became the Goat Major in 1995.

Previous owners Brains did not plan to reopen it as lockdown eased but Croeso pubs bought it and returned it to its 208-year-old name.

Some social media users had accused Croeso of a "criminal" name change.

After also complaining that its owners were "destroying Cardiff's history", it was pointed out the Blue Bell was in fact its historical name, forcing the accusers to retract their statement.

Nick Newman, who has worked in hospitality in the city for 41 years and will manage the pub, said it was a "storm in a Twitter cup" and had been resolved quickly and politely.

The Blue Bell was renamed the Goat Major to mark its connection with the Welsh infantry regiment, The Royal Welsh, whose mascot is a goat that was sponsored by Brains brewery.

Mr Newman, 61, said changing the name was a difficult decision but ultimately seemed like the right thing to do - because the military connection would go down in history anyway whereas the Blue Bell name may not.

"We sat down and said, 'Do we keep it as the Goat Major or turn it back to Blue Bell?

"I found this out from veterans but Brains called it Goat Major because there used to have military tattoos in the castle, but they no longer take place, so that took away part of the reason for keeping the name.

"That's already got its place in history, so we thought it was probably right to take it back to Blue Bell."

Mr Newman was also responsible for bringing the Philharmonic pub back into use, which he said had become "derelict and dilapidated". The company also has Brew House and Retro.

"We like to take bits of Cardiff's heritage and restore them to former glory," he said.

"We felt our main focus with the pandemic was keeping the business going.

"People do joke about me being the grandfather of High Street and St Mary Street and we could pick any of [the pubs on those streets] and say, 'If you know what you're about, and we do, you'll be able to do it right'."

Mr Newman, who is also chairman of Cardiff Licensees Forum, said otherwise the reception to the name change has been "really positive", especially among the older generation who still remember the pub as the Blue Bell.

"They all said it's great to see the Blue Bell again."

Hoarding has gone up for The Dock Feeder bar on Churchill Way.