If you’re a child of the 60s, or 70s, or early 80s, then if you visited a tavern with your parents, you would be have directed to the ‘Snug’.

A piece of male chauvinism left over from the previous 2 centuries. A separate room away from the mens drinking bar and a haven from their manly language too.

The soap opera “Coronation Street” had such a room at the left end of the bar. In the early 70’s characters such as Minnie Caldwell, Arthur Tatlock, and Enid Staples,  held court in the “snug”.

Corrie as its known in the fictional town of Weatherfield, a Lancastrian town, full of hard working, and hard drinking folk. A scene that has changed over the years with the price of ‘pubbing’ and the attraction of other ways to spend money more appealing. Once thriving weekend streets full of  pubs and clubs is not something the average town still enjoys. Young partiers are more likely to venture to a city for the nightlife.

Returning to what the ‘Snug’ is and was: history often describes them as originating in Ireland. You could see Mrs Brown sinking her cider locked away with her sisterly drinkers. The sheer hypocrisy of the practise showed a deeper divide in British culture. I say British for the practise was nationwide. Research says Ireland, TV said the ‘north”, and my aunt said “Felinfoel’.

My aunt’s best friend was the daughter of the LandLord of “The Grey Hound” public house (irony in the term public house where segregation was promoted). My aunt had left school, was working and over the legal age to drink, yet knew to meet her friend in the “Snug”. In those days the favoured drink was “milk stout”, a drink rich in iron and an ABV between 2-3% served from 1/2 bottles. A glass was topped up from the bottle not poured out immediately. A 275ml bottle could last hours because the occupants were there making their own entertainment – socialising not focussed on Alcohol induced merriment. Some visitors were courting couples and again could meet in public yet in private. Yes, less than a century and two world wars, the attitudes towards the youth and especially girls was something that no young woman today would entertain.

Ladies couldn’t order a pint but her male companion could buy 2 1/2 pints ‘for the lady’.

To sum up, and to move my story on, my maternal grandparents reared 3 girls, my aunt Eileen being a full 10 years the senior of my mother, Ethel, the baby of the family. One evening Eileen had met with her friend and left the “snug’ for the ‘public bar’, and the exit home. Sat in the bar enjoying a pint of Felinfoel ale was a foreman (more like a lower echelon manager these days) whom worked on the same line as my aunt. As she tried to leave she was challenged by him, “Does your father know you are here?”  Candour has been lost in time yet the unsolicited challenge would raise more than an eyebrow today.

Knowing of the history, I too have a ‘snug’ – when out, it is our quiet corner at Nik the Greeks but I also installed a bar and full dining experience after Sam left us. That was 10 years ago. The room itself I always preferred to our more formal living room. 

Equipped with a fine dining table, bar, stools and armchairs – it gets the light in the morning and is cooler in the evening. Fitted with 2 draft beer machines, ice machines, ice cream maker, selections of salty snacks and all manner of hard alcohol dispensed by optic with Tavern oriented deco – metal signs. Family pics, bar mirror, and a large fridge, it is a place I can sit and relax, sit and work, sit and meet, whilst enjoying a fine selection of alcoholic, non-alcoholic, beers, spirits, wines, and soft drinks. Even the best tea and coffee available. 

The clientele is very exclusive and I claim some snobbery here, for like my aunt’s pal, this is my home. I spend an evening reading with tunes playing on the jukebox from around the world and from my journey thus far. 

The beer is clean, the glasses are clean and so is the language.

Welcome to the newly reopened “The Loaves & Fish”.

We have also produced a range of Beer, Cider, and table Wine purely for own consumption.