Flagship pub in Wainfleet is pride of Batemans

The Woolpack Pub and Kitchen has recently undergone a £150,000 refurbishment - the most owners Batemans Brewery have ever spent on one of their pubs.

Its reputation is already spreading on Tripadvisor and putting Wainfleet on the map, with a recent five star comment stating: “Excellent bar and food is the best I’ve had for a long time.”

Taking on the seven-room hotel and restaurant last August at a time when statistics showed 29 pubs a week were closing nationwide was a brave new venture for Iain and Johann Jubbs, who changed careers and moved to the town from Lincoln.

Previously Iain found work for disabled people and Johann ran a cafe in the city. It was while Iain was placing clients in work at the Carpenters Arms in Fiskerton that a leaflet showing a Pub Operators Agreement (POA franchise) opportunity with Batemans was brought to his attention.

Iain said: “Johann has been in catering all her life but for me this has been something totally new. But the feedback from customers has been great. We’ve had people from London, Portsmouth, Reading and Coventry staying here while they completed their move to the area and it’s important the pub is something to be proud of.

“It’s becoming a destination pub, but it’s still at the heart of the community. We have several clubs and groups meeting here and would like to eventually have a football team again.”