The Westgate, Bury St. Edmunds

Greene King pub in a back street, probably once two rooms now opened out with a fireplace separating the two halves and a skeleton of an old wall remains at the back of the left side, a corridor leads to toilets and garden. The majority of the counter is in the right hand section along the rear wall. Four pulls but nothing on - “we have trouble keeping it in the summer” said the barman, a brace of horseshoes have four and six kegs of the usual Guinness, cider, lager line up with a John Smiths topping. The left side is taken up with a pool table. Old board floors and a brick fireplace with a boarded and beamed ceiling hint at the older pub that was here before the grey plague and counter makeover. Formerly The Black Boy this is one of a number of pubs renamed by Greene King in a fit of pearl clutching over fears that the name was offensive regardless of history or context, still their pubs their choice, it won’t improve their reputation for poor beer though.

The central entrance of the Westgate opens to the right where there’s a wooden floored seating area that is faced by an exposed brick fireplace that houses a solid looking burner, above which sits a television that was off when Champions League football was being played so I assume no TNT Sports. However, there was some very shouty rock music playing in the background. The stool, and local, lined serving counter runs across the rear where premium keg is available, and two of the four hand pumps were in use drawing GK IPA and Abbot Ale. To the left is a pool table and some more seating. The barmaid was friendly, and very popular with the locals, and there was a decent atmosphere for a midweek evening, however the lack of interesting ale may turn many off.

Facebook page of The Westgate - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Westgate - www.facebook.com

Greene King is renaming three pubs currently called The Black Boy, in Bury St Edmunds, Sudbury and Shinfield, as well as the Black’s Head, in Wirksworth. The renaming is part of Greene King’s strategy to champion equality and diversity within the company and further support people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. Community groups are being notified ahead of an online poll shortly, so they can pick from a list of suggestions for each of the four pubs. The decision to change the name follows detailed consultation with a range of stakeholders and thorough research of the pubs’ histories. While the pub name ‘Black Boy’ exists throughout the country, there is not a consensus on its origins and many of those consulted felt the name to be offensive and discriminatory. Greene King chief executive, Nick Mackenzie, said: “We have looked at pub deeds, consulted with colleagues, and while the origins of these pub names are obscure, what is clear is that there is a perception that they are linked with racism today and we want to make this positive change for the better. “We know this is a decision that will attract a range of views and we’re conscious of the history and heritage of pub names. We’ve thought long and hard and feel this is the right thing to do. We’re keen to involve local people in this project and look forward to working with them to choose a new and inclusive name for these pubs so they remain at the heart of communities.”