The Griffin Inn, Swithland has been in the Cooledge family now for 17 years. Ever since it was taken on by John Cooledge in 2001 it has been building a reputation as a superb family friendly country pub. John’s son, Jay, had previously worked at the pub and in 2011 decided to come on board full-time as a partner in the business.
In 2012 they decided to build a large function space at the back of the pub. “It was a brave move at the time”, says Jay, “we weren’t entirely sure what we would be using it for at first, we
just had so much request for larger parties that we jut knew we could make use of the space.”
Over the last five years The Old Stables has quickly grown to becoming one of the busiest function venues in North Leicestershire and is used predominantly for weddings, of which Jay estimates there will be over 110 in 2018. Jay continues; “We’re so proud of what it has become and it wouldn’t’ be what it is today without the hard work of everyone involved.”
In 2015 it became evident to the family that there was yet another gap that they could fill. This picturesque village location was short of one thing – a coffee shop. They converted an old outbuilding
(previously home to the pubs’ pet goats!) into a cosy country kitchen-themed cafe and deli.
Although only 14 seats, Odd John’s Kitchen quickly grew in popularity – spawning a larger 40- seater outlet in nearby village of Quorn. The quirky decor and fabulous homemade food have earned it a wide-reaching reputation.
“So many of our hard-core fans have suggested that we should open on evenings. Quorn is a beautifully vibrant community and village, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, so we’ve decided to once again respond to customer demand. We’ve had so much request for food in the evenings it’s unreal” enthuses Jay.
Odd John’s Kitchen in Quorn has now proudly launched its Feast nights on Fridays and Saturdays specialising in gourmet burgers and kebabs starting off with the topical Trump Tower in which there is a prime Dexter beef burger, a wall of Mexican nacho cheese to the south and Canadian maple cured bacon on top, in cahoots with Russian Imperial mustard with a skinny fries toupee and a tiny pickle. We’re sure it’ll cause a stir.
So what does the future hold for Odd John & Family? “We are looking forward to coming back home to the Griffin Inn and looking at how we can do something really special there.” ”It is where we started and it has evolved well over the years but we really want to leap ahead in 2018 and bring in some new ideas – watch this space!”
For anything from a quiet afternoon tea for two to family meals, birthdays, weddings and everything in between, contact the team on 01509 890 535 or by email at [email protected]
