Mason Moore & Vaughan Moore | 13 June 2022

A LANDMARK pub and hotel in Nuneaton town centre has closed its doors yesterday (12 June) – but it is to re-open again soon.

Yesterday (Sunday, 12 June), passers-by had noticed that the doors to the Bridge Street-based George Eliot Hotel were locked, with signs displayed in the windows simply reading: “As of Sunday the 12^th of June, the George Eliot will no longer be open.”

But today (Monday, 13 June), the Hinckley Free Press have learnt that this is only a temporary closure, as the Leicestershire-based pub chain formerly known as Elmesthorpe Brewery Co., now rebranded as the Crafty Pub Group, are poised to officially re-open its doors in the near future and coming months.

In fact, to celebrate its re-launch when it re-opens, Crafty Pub Group’s brewery arm, Elmesthorpe Brewery Co, will serve up a new exclusive bitter or pale ale for the pub, which will be named the ‘Crafty George Pale Ale’, or ‘Crafty George’s Best Bitter’.

The brand’s nearest pub is just over the county border in Hinckley, on Regent Street in the epicentre of the town centre, named Crafty Baron Hinckley.

According to letting agents, Savills, the pub – built 121 years ago in 1900 – includes an ‘extensive beer garden’, managers accommodation on the second floor, a basement beer cellar, and it is just a six-minute walk from Nuneaton railway station.

A spokesman for the Crafty Pub Group and Elmesthorpe Brewery Co, explained: “The Founders and Chief Executive Officers of the company – Nirad Solanki and his wife Payal Solanki – are the owners of Crafty Pub Group, formerly Elmesthorpe Brewery Co., which underwent a rebrand 3 months ago.

“Having lived in Nuneaton for 3 years not so long ago they cannot believe that their company is coming back to Nuneaton which is where they resided when they bought their first ever public house.

“It is a great opportunity and location to be part of with the new developments and changes happening.

“With one of the largest beer gardens in the town centre, we want to strongly utilise the space and bring pub culture back in to towns, bigger and better and with a Crafty twist.

“We have 12 sites within our group and the hope is to have a Crafty location in different places. Together, Nirad and his wife Payal, have worked extremely hard to support all the businesses and careers during covid and create mass job opportunities.

“Although trade has decreased dramatically since pre-covid, Payal and Nirad strongly believe in the hospitality trade and they are fully fledged into it including, bars, restaurants, hotels and holiday parks.

“The name of the George Eliot will stand, but internally it’ll be rebranding as the Crafty George Eliot and it will colloquially be known as the Crafty George!”