No prior experience not a problem for Ben at helm of popular pub
As pubs struggle in the current cost of living crisis, the Shropshire Star continues its series, Love Your Local, which celebrates our local inns.
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Taking over a pub can be a tough task for anyone, but especially during an international health crisis.
Add to that no prior experience of running a pub and you have Ben Stanford, the current landlord of the historic George & Dragon pub in Much Wenlock.
Mr Stanford became the latest incumbent of the position of running the pub in 2021, having helped the previous management during the Covid-19 lockdown after selling the family business and finding he was slowly 'going mad' attempting to home-school his children.
He said: "My children, at the time, didn't want to do any school work, with my youngest having started first year reception and not understanding what school was about, so I was finding I was going mad and needed a change.
"My sister-in-law was, at the time, working at the pub and I knew the owners and was asked if I fancied doing part-time hours, so I decided to do so as it was a good way to meet some other grown ups.
"I and my wife Kate ended up doing a bit more, running a takeaway service where if we could fry it and put it in a box, we did it. Then I started doing more and more and when it came to January 2021, I took over the pub as the owners found they had businesses elsewhere with pent up demand."
