The Shrewsbury pub with a community feel where everyone leaves as a friend

The Dog & Pheasant in Shrewsbury is run by a landlady who is using her 29 years of experience working in the care sector to make it a family-friendly, welcoming, community feel pub.

Angela Kimberley, 54, from Shrewsbury, has run the establishment for just under five years. Prior to that she had no experience of running a pub.

Some may think it would have been a difficult career transition from working with people who have mental health problems and dementia to now running a boozer, but she insists it was an easy switch and likens running a pub to almost providing care – only this time, for her customers.

The Dog & Pheasant, based on Severn Street in the county town has been around since the 18th century. It has become a staple in the community, and one of the reasons why is due to the friendly landlady.

Angela explains how she chooses to run the pub: "In April it will be five years since I took over, having worked in the care sector before that for 29 years, but I love working with people and I have been drinking in this pub for over 15 years, and so I knew about it already, having visited many times.

"At the time, I wanted a new challenge and change in life, so my daughter found the job opening, I applied, went through what was an easy process and here I am.

"The transition was actually easy because I already knew most of the customers, and me being a people person has helped massively.

"I see it like this, people come in as a stranger, but they then leave as a friend, and that is how I run this pub.

"It is all about meeting people, getting to know them and their needs, and then providing them with the care and service that they want or do not want.

"That is why I say it is actually a lot like a care home, as some people want to have a conversation and need that help, whilst some like to be left alone, and so it is different with all kinds of people, you just have to know how to deal with them all and I feel that I do."

A lot of pubs are community hubs in their area, and the Dog & Pheasant is no different, and Angela would have it no other way.

She adds: "This is a hub of the community, and it's about having the old values of being in the community and having the landlord or landlady being available for the people and helping in any way they can.

"It is rewarding to help people, and customers even come to me for advice when it comes to things like care or dementia, and it is nice to be able to use the experience from my previous work to benefit anyone.

"I'm always more than happy to use all that experience and help people where I can. This has enable me to build awesome relationships with people, and my Google reviews are a testament to this."

The reviews on Google are are hugely positive, with an overall rating of 4.7 out of five, and with almost 200 reviews in total, it is proof that Angela is doing a great job in how she runs the pub.

The hospitality industry has faced a tough period in recent years with the Covid pandemic and now the energy crisis, but Angela, positive in everything she does, says: "We are holding our own in regards to energy and Covid, and it's thanks to the strong community that are loyal and they have supported me a lot.

"Yes prices are going up, but we are close to the town where other places are putting their prices up too, so people are happy to visit and sit in the back street boozer.

"I see it like this, if people are coming out to spend their money, I want to make sure firstly I serve them a good pint, provide them with a great service, a pleasant environment and want them to come back.

"I'm not a false person, and so I will make sure to respect them and I would like that in return."

To signify the family feel of the establishment, Angela's mother volunteers at a mental health allotment, where the people there make chutneys, jams and cakes from their produec, and Angela then sells these products in the pub, which she says sells out very quickly, and then she gives the proceeds back to those people that grew them in the allotment.

The pub also hosts many fundraisers and supports five charities where the regulars raise money regularly.

Speaking about this, Angela says: "It has been so fun running the pub and the fact that we have the opportunity to help other people and families is a privilege.

"We regularly support five charities, and we have just had a memorial bench put in the castle ground for British Legion, which we raised the money for.

"Being a small pub it is a privilege to raise money for a good cause, and help those in need. Everyone is so generous in this pub, all I need to do is tell them something sad, and right away everyone is willing to help and it once again signifies the values, the family-feel of the place and how we're such a tight-knit group. I love it."

The pub is a traditional wet-pub, serving its popular range of cask ales, with two open fires, making it a nice, cosy, homely environment.

Angela adds: "This has become people's home away from home, everyone talks to one another, it is a great social place.

"We even used to have a dedicated chatter table where people could go and sit and chat with anyone on that table and it was really popular, but it has since stopped since Covid.

"We are dog friendly here too, and as I do not have my own animals, I'm able to treat those that come in with extra special love, provide them with treats and water bowls.

"I do this job with a smile on my face and I do it because I love it."