Meet the Publican: Lyndsey Bullock, The Horse & Jockey
Facing our ten questions this week is Lyndsey Bullock who runs The Horse and Jockey in Penkridge
What inspired you to run a pub?
I started working in pubs when I was 18 which was a traditional drinkers pub from Holden’s brewery and I fell in love with the social side of the pub. It supported me while I raised two small boys and inspired me to want more for them. I took over my own pub around 18 years ago and have never looked back.
I moved to Black Country Ales and have progressed to win pub of the year for 3 consecutive years. Moving to The Horse and Jockey as a relief manager and both me and my husband fell in love with the village and this is where we have stayed
Why should people come to your pub?
We are a thriving pub in the centre of a village with a good selection of well kept beer, a huge selection of spirits and some fabulous entertainment. Our staff are friendly and welcoming and have good knowledge of the beers on the bar
What will we find behind the bar to delight our tastebuds?
We offer very well kept beer including 10 real ales and 2 still ciders on the bar at all times. We have a wide selection of spirits.
We are becoming famous in the local area for our huge fresh made cobs and cold snacks. On the weekends/bank holidays we have a variety of hot foods including BBQs in the summer and hot pork/turkey and stuffing during the colder months
Do you have any regular or occasional events?
We have at least one live entertainer every month and a monthly quiz night, we also compare for a Rock and Roll bingo night.
We have an annual beer festival which extends our range of beer from 10 ales to at least 20!
We have darts and dominoes teams which play every week.
We ensure that we put on a theme night for as many occasions as we can including Halloween, New Years, Remembrance day and we cater for private parties. This year alone we have done baby showers, engagement parties, funerals, birthdays and anniversaries
What are the best & worst parts of the job?
The best part of the job is meeting so many different characters from all walks of life and being a friend to everybody.
The worst part is definitely the hours as we have late nights and early mornings but this is heavily outweighed by the good stuff!
You have some time off – what do you do?
I love spending time with my family and making cherished memories with my husband and my boys
Any funny moments you can share?
There are literally too many to mention, its a laugh a minute and we embrace the comedic value of our customers
What three words best describe your pub?
Welcoming, community, quality
How could CAMRA (local & national) help support you?
Have more of a presence in the pub to spread the word of the work we are doing to keep the pub a great place and to advertise our pub more as a real ale pub
Tell us you best (or worst) pub joke
A man walks into a bar with a roll of tarmac under his arm and orders 2 pints.
He says “one for me and one for the road”
Many thanks to Lyndsey for taking the time to answer our questions and congratulations on making it into the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2025.
If you run a pub in the Heart of Staffordshire area and would like to take part in a future ‘Meet the Publican’ feature, please get in touch