According to the British Beer & Pub Association, a pub is closing every day. Costs are rising, business rates are increasing and sales are flat, and the younger generation are not drinking in pubs like their predecessors. So, who in their right mind would decide to take on a second pub on a six year commitment at the tender age of 63? Don Hurst explains it all to long-time friend and colleague, Phil Dixon CBII.
Don Hirst FBII is a legend in Midlands’ hospitality, known throughout the region as ‘Dudley Don’. After a decade in the Trade Union sector he decided on a lifestyle change and took a job as a Wolverhampton & Dudley (W&D) Breweries Relief Manager which, though initially involving some serious loss of remuneration, he found it was something he excelled at. Promotions followed and in 2003 he had the opportunity to take on a failed managed house, The Dudley Arms, on a 21-year lease.
The Dudley Arms (now part of Marston’s) is on the busy A449 opposite Himley Hall and very close to The Crooked House, the pub which infamously burnt down almost hours after it was sold.
Why is The Dudley Arms (known as The DA) so successful? Don’s management skills and personality obviously have helped. Helen from Upper (not Lower) Gornal, who has been employed there for 22 years, confirmed he is the best boss she has ever worked for.
A small kitchen negatively affected his plans for a varied food offer, so he basically has a value -for-money all you can eat breakfast from 8am-11am followed by a Carvery, again excellent value from 12noon -9pm. The prices are not premium but the standards are. How many BII members would appreciate having 38 cars on their car park at seven minutes past midday on a dismal September Monday?
There is superb chalk-boarding throughout the pub. However, what I feel is a bit of genius is the large ground floor, partitioned into various areas. Each one has now been adopted by a localtown or village: Tipton, Dudley, Brier ley Hill, Cradley Heath, Kingswinford and Himley. Don has sourced vintage photographs of the towns and had them made into wallpaper. The rooms look superb and customers, for example from Tipton, book a table in the Tipton room to enjoy their food.
Another talking point is a mural highlighting that the pub was frequented by the couple engaged in the most famous love affair of the 20th Century. (King) Edward and Mrs (Wallis) Simpson would reside as guests of the Earl of Dudley across the road in Himley Hall. When Edward stayed without Wallis, stories abound of his philandering and exploits.
The former King is a controversial figure loved before his abdication byhis campaigning for better conditions for Welsh miners and investment in the Glasgow shipyards (Queen Mary Cruise Liner), creating thousands of jobs in the depression. However, his tour of Nazi Germany in 1937, after his abdication and subsequent marriage to the twice-divorced Wallis, and his later comments to Lord Kinross in 1965 that ‘I never thought Hitler was such a bad chap’ have understandably sullied and damaged his reputation. The DA is one of the very few pubs, to my knowledge, that had them as regular customers and the mural is a fine work of art by the late Neil J Arms — and it definitely provokes interest and discussion. The pub also contains a wonderful function suite with impressive large Art Deco ceiling glass lampshades.
In April 2025, while I was exploring options to try to preserve a well-known iconic pub, I had arranged a meeting between the Bathams Brewery family, Don and his partner Shaz (Sharon) at The DA.
Don happened to mention that his local was a Bathams site, The Lamp Tavern in Dudley. It was close to where he went to school and his school mates from 50 years ago still frequent the pub. “It’s a favourite pub of mine and could be so much better,” said Don.
Looking at the quality of his surroundings Matthew Batham FBII, somewhat unsubtly remarked: “Would you like it?” Followed by: “Send Phil over to discuss some terms!”
Time for me to put all those theories into practice. I proposed a six-year agreement with a small partial tie. In my opinion, publicans need as much freedom as possible to maximise profit margins. Rent was agreed for six years and, in return, guaranteed safeguarded volumes for the brewery’s products.
The Bathams Brewery, formed in 1877, today has an estate of just 12 pubs, 10 of which are managed on good old fashioned and proper contracts, with salaries, holiday sick pay, etc, and two tenancies.
Despite only having an estate of 12 pubs, two were recently featured in the Daily Telegraph’s top 20 pubs of the Midlands, accompanied by six other freetrade customer outlets.
Bathams’ bitter and, to some extent, the mild have a very devoted following, reinforced by a price structure that ignores demographics. Of all the wet sales in a Bathams pub, 78% are draught products and of these over 68% are the bitter and the mild. BII Members will be intrigued to learn that two pubs still receive the bitter to this day in Hogsheads — 48 gallon, that’s 384 pint containers.
“Our customers are very loyal and deserve respect. They know in our managed pubs the bitter is £3.80 a pint the mild £2.90 irrespective of where they are in the area,” confirmed Director Matthew Batham — all the pubs are within 11 miles of the brewery.
So, what do Don and Shaz intend to do at The Lamp?
It has three under-used function rooms in the former brewhouse and one is Dudley’s answer to Liverpool’s The Cavern, renowned for its regular Blues Club.
Don and Shaz immediately upgraded the outdoor area and have begun some serious investment to restore five en-suite letting rooms. They have improved the food and widened the drinks offer, but honouring the Bathams price structure.
They have also started redecorating, with Shaz demonstrating considerable flair, some of the lounge areas to give it more of a Victorian ambiance — indeed the wallpaper could have been designed by William Morris (1834-96) of Arts and Crafts fame, except that it was from B&Q.
At 63 taking on his second pub, I told Don and Shaz: “You two should be on a beach in the Caribbean.” Don replied: “True, but we know this pub, we know its potential, and we have to do this, it’s in our blood.”
Don has been a BII member for three decades, he uses the helplines probably not enough in his view and he feels membership is often undervalued. He does though enjoy reading about real members with real experiences and this magazine, BII News, and now he’ll be chuffed to have joined that particular club.
