PUB OF THE SEASON - SPRING 2006

Ray Seavers and his wife Monica moved to the Bush Inn at Tallentire last year, from the award winning White Bull, Great Eccleston, Lancashire (near Poulton le Fylde)

Before reopening the pub, which had been closed for nearly 12 months, extensive repair work was carried out in the cellar, most of the internal walls re-plastered and a new stone floor laid in the bar. The Bush has been transformed from a restaurant with a bar to a real pub with three handpumps on the bar. Jennings Bitter is always available, with two rotating guest beers, a regular special being the delightful flowery Tallentire Best. A quiet pub with no television or electronic games, a dartboard has been added at the request of the locals. Ray and Monica also produce ‘The Bush Telegraph’, the pub newsletter, which is published every 4 to 6 weeks.

In their 6 years at the White Bull, Ray and Monica sold over 300 guest beers; in their first 4 months at the Bush they have already served 30 guest beers.
Ray is particularly fond of Scottish beers which have featured heavily, but Cumbrian beers have also been well represented, including Jennings, Yates, Hesket Newmarket and Hawkshead beers.

The work on the Bush has not yet been completed. Food should be available late spring/early summer, in a separate restaurant at the rear of the premises. Ray said he believes that eating and drinking areas should be kept separate. Part of the garden at the back of the pub will be flagged and tables will be provided for outdoor drinking by the summer.

Currently the Bush is open 7-11 Mon-Thurs, 7-12 Fri & Sat and 12-2, 7-11 Sun. These hours are likely to be extended once food is available. The local branch of CAMRA were very pleased to see the reopening of the village pub. The quality and choice of cask conditioned ales that has followed is a most welcome addition to the real ale fold and fills a gap on the map in the current addition of CRAG (Cumbria Real Ale Guide). Therefore at our last meeting the West Cumbria and Western Lakes Branch voted the Bush Inn our POTS (Pub of the Season) for Spring 2006.