Three cheers! Saxilby licensee honoured for long service

Saxilby licensee Mike Brown receives a long service award for his quarter of a century at the pub.

The 69-year-old has received a prestigious long-service award in recognition of his quarter of a century at the popular watering hole.

And Mike, a former electrician, is not yet ready to pull the plug on the job he loves - and is about to sign a further five-year lease.

“I can’t imagine life without The Anglers,” he said. “It’s a great privilege to wake up every morning and do a job you love.

Saxilby licensee Mike Brown with his son Wayne and Paul Willis, of Star Pubs & Bars, who presented the long service award.

“I’ve served generations of Saxilby families and meeting so many different people is the highlight.”

The award, from pub owners Star Pubs & Bars, is the second for Mike in recent weeks, with The Anglers also gaining Cask Marque accreditation with a five-star cellar rating for the quality of its cask ales.

Since moving to Saxilby in 1950, Mike has seen many changes. The village’s population has more than doubled and, of the original five pubs located there, only two remain.

The Anglers is at the heart of the community, acting as a favoured meeting place for local groups and sports teams. The pub also supports local good causes, raising £20,000 for St Barnabas Hospice and £4,000 for Lincolnshire’s air ambulance over the past 25 years.

Mike, who has been joined at the pub by his son Wayne, added: “We just want to keep The Anglers as a welcoming pub, not just for Saxilby but for the whole area.”

Paul Willis, Star Pubs & Bars business development manager, said: “To keep a pub so popular over so many years is an outstanding achievement and a real tribute to Mike’s great hospitality, passion and commitment.

“Mike is the quintessential mine host; he provides the warmest of welcomes and is a well-known figure who makes a big contribution to the community.”