The Red Lion

Friday 13th January was a lucky day for not only the Massey family but also for Needham. It was on this day that Joe and Sue and sons Michael and Kevin became owners of the village pub, The Red Lion, thus securing its future.Running a pub takes a special sort of person. The hours are long and taking holidays is not without its problems. People always expect to see a smiling face behind the bar even when the publican may not  feel much like smiling! The Red Lion, which is a grade 2 Listed building, is very much a family business. Joe makes sure the beer is at its best whilst Sue runs the kitchen. Michael is responsible for the theme nights and organises all the improvement projects of which there are going to be many now that they own the pub.Michael can’t remember when his family wasn’t involved in running pubs. His earliest memory is living in The Swan in Fressingfield in 1980 when Joe was also the senior contracts manager for a large carpet firm and worked on prestigious projects such the Royal Opera House and the MI5 building. In 1986 the family moved to The Bush in Shimpling until in 2008 they became tenants of The Red Lion.

Michael enjoys the characters, especially the older ones, which he meets whilst serving behind the bar. The stories they tell are fascinating. One evening Michael discovered that they had three WW2 ex-paratroopers in the bar all of whom had taken part in a glider raid over France. Not only do the pensioners have remarkable tales to tell but they are the people who keep pubs going. The pensioners’ lunches the Red Lion offers are very popular.

Which brings us to food – Michael believes that people want good honest pub food rather that fancy food served by many gastro pubs. Consequently they concentrate on serving fish, pies, grills, curries and vegetarian options. Michael’s philosophy is to give people what they want and he is more than willing to accommodate diners who may have certain food intolerances or particular preferences – “If someone wants prawn cocktail with sauce on the side then that’s what you do. It’s all about being bothered.” He believes that is the way to make sure people come back.

Michael spent 2 ½ years at Stamford College where he learned to cook “fancy food” but after his 3rd failure with hot trout mousse with crayfish sauce he decided to call it a day. His expertise is sometimes called upon for theme nights.

Michael feels that many pubs put too much emphasis on food and the drinkers get forgotten. People like to go to the pub for a drink and a chat. So, the quality of beer is important and Joe is responsible for making sure the beer is in top condition. Now they own the pub they can a wider variety of beers and will be serving beer from local micro-breweries such as Grain, Tipple and Humpty Dumpty.

And the future? They are going to experiment with the menu whilst still keeping the basics. There are going to be improvements outside with the decking being made more accessible and, for the children, there will be a play area.  The theme nights* will continue.

We wish the Massey family all the best for the future because a good pub is what every village needs!

*Future events:

17 March - St Patrick’s Day with Dog Days of Summer

9 April - Hog Roast. Band TBA

photograph by Vicky Townley