Nottingham's historic Golden Fleece has seen many landlords since it first opened in the mid-1800s. The latest, after a recent takeover, is Marc Paling, a man who first visited the ale house as a teenager but is now happy to be on the opposite side of the bar.
It's a pub full of charm and character, with a real fire and some of the city's deepest caves beneath the three-storey Grade II-listed building in Mansfield Road. And it was here over a pint that Sleaford Mods' frontman Jason Williamson came up with the band's name.
Pub-goers stepping in off the street might not know it but all the beers, cocktails and wines are vegan. In fact everything is vegan, including the food and the cleaning products. Drinkers will find local brews such as Castle Rock's Oatmeal Stout, Snake Eyes from Black Iris and the Fleece's Mad Sheep house lager all on draught.
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Guinness, Corona, Mahou and Orchard Pig cider are vegan-friendly. Likewise, so are all the cocktails which include Fleececolada, chocolate mint flavoured After Eightini, and Love Potion, created with vegan cream liqueur. Super healthy smoothies, with five-a-day goals, include the Green Machine, made with apple, banana, spirulina, spinach and lime.
When it comes to food the pub serves brunch until 2pm. French toast, a full breakfast, loaded toast and burritos are crafted from vegan ingredients. Mains from head chef Linda Legend include a southern fried seitan burger, toasted Cheeze, seitan doner and tofish and chips.
Snacks of vegan sausage rolls, sides of fries and mac and Cheeze, and desserts such as sticky toffee pudding and triple chocolate brownies are also on the menu. And on Sundays a beef-style seitan roast (all the seitan products are made in-house) and tofu belly are served with roast spuds, vegetables and Yorkshire puddings.
Once the future was looking bleak for the pub after it suddenly closed in 2018 but seven weeks later it reopened under the ownership of Ben Rose, who also operates the Angel Microbrewery. After stepping down from the Fleece he passed on the reins to Marc a few weeks go.
It was a smooth transfer as Marc was already in charge of the pub's vegan food concept Prickly Pear. Three years earlier Prickly Pear started as as a small cafe a few doors away but closed last year to focus on serving customers in the pub.
Running a pub is not alien to Marc. Previously he worked for Nottingham-based Castle Rock as a pub manager. Before that had been at the restaurant in Center Parcs for ten years, rising through the ranks to team leader.
Marc, whose partner Rob Gwyther helps with the pub admin, said: "I'm enjoying being back [in the pub trade]. Last week we did a record-breaking week so it's doing really well. I wouldn't say it's just because of the vegan menu, there's many aspects to this place. It's got a big student customer base obviously because of where it is and a big drinking trade, not just food, and with all the live music acts it's all working well together.
"Things are still hard with how expensive everything is but you have to keep pushing on don't you? We are just focusing on titivating this place first before we have any big ideas. Mansfield Road wouldn't be the same without this pub. It went though a bit of a bad patch but now The Peacock has reopened there's a bit more trade and footfall on the street.
"When the students are here it's always busy round here. It's when they're not here it's a bit challenging but you have to take the rough with the smooth."
Next week the pub, which is closed on Mondays, will also remain closed on Tuesday (April 4) for a spot of redecorating. "We are going to give it a lick of paint next week, off-black instead of the green, and our landlords are redeveloping the terrace. They had to rip it out to fix the leaking roof. We're going to get some AstroTurf down there so it's going to be like a green space. Other than that more of the same."
The pub is open Tuesday to Sunday from noon and 11am on Saturdays.
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