Longford pub to change hands after two decades as owners open up about 'difficult decision'

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Leigh Watts and Antoni Dawe will be leaving the much-loved pub in September



A popular pub will be changing hands after over two decades in Coventry. Leigh Watts and Antoni Dawe will be handing over the reins at The Greyhound Inn in Longford.

Partners Leigh, 59, and Antoni, 56, have run the much-loved city pub since 2002. A new set of owners will be taking over in September.

Leigh said their time at the pub will come to an end on September 28, describing the decision to step back as 'really difficult.' He added that the couple felt 'honoured' to have been at the helm for over two decades saying their time at the popular boozer was 'filled with fun and adventure.'

Leigh, 59, said on Facebook: “In almost 21 years of running this wonderful pub we have communicated and posted many things and below is probably the most difficult thing we have had to communicate in all of that time. Myself and Antoni have come to a really difficult decision in the last few days and we want to share that with you.

“We have decided that our time here at The Greyhound will come to an end on Thursday, September 28. After 21 wonderful years with some fantastic memories that will stay with us forever, it is sadly time for us to step aside and let someone else take the helm.

“We have had to consider many factors in coming to this decision and of course, it will be a huge personal wrench for us both but we ultimately feel that this is the time. We will of course be communicating more in the coming weeks of planned opportunities to see everyone before we go but at the moment our main priority is our wonderful team of staff and ensuring their security and well-being before the 28th.

“At this stage, there are simply too many people to say thank you and to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude. Our time here has been blessed with meeting so many wonderful people and we consider ourselves privileged and honoured to have been here for so long and to have had the opportunity of steering the best pub in the world on a journey full of fun and adventure.”

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Coventry man takes over popular centuries-old Longford pub and says customers are 'brilliant'



A city pub owner has spoken about taking over a much-loved boozer in Coventry. The Greyhound in Longford changed hands earlier this year.

Leigh and Antoni Dawe spent more than two decades at the helm of the popular pub and described the decision to hand over the reins as 'really difficult.' Although they did say that their time spent there was 'filled with fun and adventure.'

Manager Darren Piper took over the centuries-old boozer after Leigh and Antoni decided to take a step back in September. He was relieved to have received a warm welcome from locals who he says have been 'receptive and welcoming.'

Speaking to CoventryLive, Darren said: “It has been really good. Obviously, Leigh and Antoni had the building and the pub for 21 years so it was a long time to have it, but one thing we have realised since being in is that it is very community-orientated.

“We see a lot of regulars in here and there is a real community spirit. Customers have been brilliant, really receptive and welcoming.”Speaking to CoventryLive, Darren said: “It has been really good. Obviously, Leigh and Antoni had the building and the pub for 21 years so it was a long time to have it, but one thing we have realised since being in is that it is very community-orientated.

“We see a lot of regulars in here and there is a real community spirit. Customers have been brilliant, really receptive and welcoming.”

Darren admitted that he was 'nervous' to take over the pub because of the large number of customers who were loyal to Leigh and Antoni. He said: “We were a bit nervous because there is a lot of community spirit so we thought that might have disappeared initially but the customers that have always been here have continued to support me and Craig (Landlord) which is great.”

Darren went on to say that there was a lot of angst within the community when rumours began to circulate about outlandish plans for the decades-old pub in Longford. Locals had been fearful that the space would be fully transformed and modernised, he said.

He explained: “I think once people realised the previous tenants were going there was all sorts of stuff floating around amongst the regulars like they thought we were going to be opening up as a cocktail bar and a sports bar and it was going to be filled with TVs.

“A huge part of the vibe of this place is that we allow dogs into the bar on a Saturday and Sunday which means there is quite a nice buzz in there and it is quite an enjoyable place to be. It is a traditional quintessentially British pub and people love that!”

He added: “We get people who will travel from afar to come here because the pubs in their area are not quite like this and that is a testament to how popular and the great reputation that the pub has got and it is important for us to carry on with that. I think one thing that has really shone through from our point of view is that speaking to guests now we have been in for a period of time is that nothing has really changed.

“People have said to us actually, we have now realised having come in for a while that it is just the same old pub with a couple of new faces and it is important to continue that because it is very easy to lose customers when you do something drastically different to what they are used to.”

Darren revealed that there are some changes in the pipeline over the coming months, which include renovating the toilets as well as the front of the centuries-old building at Sutton Stop. He said there may also be subtle changes to the décor and the tables and seating could also be replaced.

He said: “It is just changing it a bit without compromising the charm of the building, just make it a bit more ours really, without losing the sort of old-style British pub.”