Mason Moore | Hinckley Reporter | 8 May 2022

A LEICESTERSHIRE-based pub chain has underwent a complete rebrand, which has seen them take on a new brand name.

The former Elmesthorpe Brewery Co., from Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, owned by the husband and wife duo of Nirad and Payal Solanki, has became ‘Crafty Pub Group’.

The news of the rebrand was publicly made known on social media sharing sites by a spokesperson for the local pub chain just two days ago (Friday, 6 May).

The Chief Executive for Crafty Pub Group told the Hinckley Free Press that the ‘Elmesthorpe Brewery Co.’ name will continue to be used on the brand’s locally-brewed real ales, IPAs, and other alcoholic beverages which are brewed by them.

The rebrand will see three of their local pubs in Hinckley, Leicester and Stoney Stanton take on the ‘Crafty’ name prefix respectively – and these sites will become ‘The Crafty Baron of Hinckley’, ‘The Crafty Dog’ and ‘The Crafty Bull’s Head’.

Previously, these were known as ‘The New Baron of Hinckley’, ‘The Dog House’ and ‘The Bull’s Head’.

Their Melton Mowbray and Stoke-on-Trent sites, the Crafty Slice Co. and the Crafty Lion, opened with ‘Crafty’ names last year, being the first sites to take on the name.

Whilst the chain own two sites in Prague, Czech Republic, the international brands over there will remain unaffected as they have their very own brand identities.

Speaking on the rebrand, Nirad V. Solanki, Group Chief Executive of The Crafty Pub Group, told the Free Press: “The idea initially came last year after opening the Crafty Slice and Crafty Lion in a short space of time.

“The plan was to always focus on just one site and focus of our microbrewery Elmesthorpe Brewery Co., but out of nowhere our business plans have changed, and we are constantly acquiring sites and fully deep in to hospitality.

“We now have hotels, bars, restaurants, pubs, holiday parks and we fully believe in supporting the hospitality industry.

“We thought let’s get Crafty and have Crafty in every location.

He continued: “We aren’t like the big chains at all. Service and homemade, handmade food and quality being our epicentre.

“We offer entertainment, sports and fun at all of our venues so there is something for everyone. If other big chains want to come and open opposite us, it doesn’t bother us at all as have a totally different business model.

Solanki further revealed that a new site is currently in the process of being acquired in a nearby town.

He said: “With our new acquisition in a neighbouring town that’s underway legally, yet again another Crafty site.

“The full roll out of the Crafty name and branding will take 4 to 6 weeks and all of our staff and patrons have warmed to the Crafty idea!”