When Derek Bennett took over The English Pub three years ago it was known for food from Great Britain, albeit food that wasn’t very good.
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| Joe Ring is the new owner of The English Pub, a longtime favorite in south Naples. He bought the pub last November from former owner Derek Bennett and says he will make few changes to the menu. |
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“The original owner had been here for 18 years, and he was a Brit, but it slowly deteriorated and it changed hands a few times and was sorely neglected,” says Bennett of a location that opened in 1974 as Chubby’s Sports Bar. “I was in the (restaurant) business and knew what was wrong. I had been manager of the Olive Garden, was at the Silver Spoon for a while and had my own catering business for 10 years.
“When I bought this place I was very much swept up in the real estate business. So, I bought the building with a view that I would do it up, restore it to its former success, which we accomplished, then I would move on. I’m 52 and wanted to do some other stuff.”
Bennett has done just that, selling The English Pub to Joe Ring last November.
“I had been a customer before and I have been in the business for a while, so I have done the long hours as a chef and beverage manager,” says Ring. “I love the atmosphere in here. And, I was raised in the business and been in it for 28 years in Chicago, Dallas, Boston, and Florida one other time.”
Ring said he had been in the area for about a year and a half, working most recently at a country club when a friend mentioned the pub was for sale. He contacted Bennett and a deal was struck.
“I’m not going to make many changes,” says Ring, who plans to maintain the menu mix of traditional English fare and other items. “I’ve been working with Derek on a regular basis to increase the business and adding a few touches. We have a service car for customers to get them home if they need a ride. But as far as the food, we’ll basically keep what we have.”
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IF YOU GO |
What: The English Pub.
Where: 2408 Linwood Ave., South Naples (go left off US 41E onto Shadowlwan and then left onto Linwood)
Hours: 11am to 12:30 am, Monday through Thirsday; 11am to 2am Friday and Saturday; and opening Sunday at 10am for a special brunch.
Atmosphere: This pub's a jolly good take on the real deal, quite unlike most any other place in town.
Information : 775-3727.
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Traditional pub favorites include fish and chips, bangers and mash (grilled pork sausages over white cheddar and chive lumpy mashed potatoes, then topped with caramelized onions and ale gravy), liver and onions and shepherd’s pie. The steak pie is a variation on steak and kidney pie with sliced top sirloin in a herb pastry crust rather than the kidney usually served in England.
Burgers, steaks and chops, salads and various sweet treats also are on the menu. Appetizers include Scotch egg, a hard boiled egg wrapped in sausage and fried in a crispy batter and served with a pickle.
Like many British pubs, the walls are filled with old signs, photos and other memorabilia, including a wall devoted to Winston Churchill.
Last year the pub was in the news when the suit of armor Bennett refers to as the “rusty old knight” disappeared from his post near the front door of the restaurant.
“It was taken as a prank that got absolutely out of hand.” a laughing Bennett explains. “It got all kinds of media coverage. I don’t know who took it, but it turned up after 10 days. I have it on good authority they tried to bring it back three times but there were so many police here they couldn’t get it done. I don’t know who took it but I would have bought them a drink.”
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