Managed pub in focus
Golden Eagle We’ve been getting up close and personal with our pubs since our first Castle Rock Quarter launched in 2014. This time we’re focusing on the Golden Eagle in Lincoln An established hostelry since the early 1700s, the Golden Eagle is now a community pub on Lincoln’s lengthy High Street. It’s an unassuming building of cream and (what we call) Castle Rock blue, with some true pub treasures to discover. The bar and lounge are separate rooms, both with a laid back and traditional feel; small and cosy spaces enjoyed by many. What really makes the Golden Eagle special is its spectacular beer garden, which underwent a major refurbishment just a couple of years ago, and is the ideal spot for sunny days and warm evenings.
We caught up with Tracy and Pete who have been lovingly looking after the pub and its locals for ten years: “We always endeavour to look after our customers. Pete sorts their computers, we help write letters, run people to the doctors and more. On Christmas Day those who don’t have relatives come to us for lunch. It’s an extended family,” Tracy tells us. This is exactly the sort of service, care and attention that is priceless and why the Golden Eagle is so fondly loved.
The Golden Eagle is the only pub in Lincoln, and the only Castle Rock pub, to stock the modern red ale, Lincoln Red. The beer garden of the Golden Eagle is a true oasis in the historic city of Lincoln. “On a warm day it fills up with groups of families and friends,” Tracy says. The ever popular Golden Eagle Beer Festival takes place every year in the beer garden (last weekend of June so a year to wait now!)
Interaction with customers is absolutely essential in a successful pub and indeed a Castle Rock pub, and Tracy and Pete are particularly fond of finding synergy with their customers. “Everyone has a story to tell and I think sitting and taking the time to listen to them maintains the ethos of the pub” says Tracy. The Golden Eagle stocks Harvest Pale permanently and Castle Rock guest beers, which go down a treat. Locality is also important to Tracy and Pete: “We try to stock local ales as much as we can, featuring the likes of Pheasantry, Oldershaws, Newby Wyke and Cathedral Heights. But we love sourcing beers no-one has had before. Having a good range is all about judging what goes down well, and trying new beers is a part of that.”
The marquee becomes an extension of the pub, plus a BBQ and live music all weekend long means there’s always a buzz during the festival. So if you’ve never been to the Golden Eagle, we thoroughly recommend you give this delightful pub a try, and to all those that have – thank you for your custom from all of us at Castle Rock.
Pictures clockwise from top: Public Bar, Beer Garden, Lounge Bar, Childrens Play Area, Beer Garden, Distinctive High Street frontage
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