Couple call time on two decades at Telford hotel

Peter and Liz Arden have run The Cock Hotel in Wellington for the best part of the last two decades, but are now looking for new owners to take it over.

With no new home to move to and no concrete plans for what happens next, their current focus is keeping their traditional pub running smoothly and their regulars happy.

The Grade II listed building, a former coaching inn, has been an instantly recognisable part of Wellington for more than 250 years, and Mr and Mrs Arden said it is that history and an effort to avoid falling into the trap of loud music and televised sports that has helped them stay unique.

Mrs Arden said: "It's the people that we've had here over the years that have made it special, as well as our different teams of staff. Many of them have become like extended family to us over the years. But we felt like it was the time to start taking more of a back seat. We're both around 70 – I'm on the wrong side of it. It's time to let someone else take a go."

Leaving behind The Cock Hotel will be a big change for the couple, who love the industry they've been a part of for almost 40 years.

"If you don't love it, if you don't enjoy working with people, what on earth would you get involved for?" Liz said.

"We're old fashioned licensees, we're really quite boring.

"We don't allow people to get silly. We don't stop fun, but we don't let people get over the top, and we don't allow swearing."

"This is a really full-on industry," Mr Arden said.

"You're always on stage. You come through the bar door, and however you feel, you've got to smile."

But despite their daily performances soon coming to an end, the couple aren't yet sure on where they'll end up after the pub is sold.

It is currently listed for £699,000, and the pair said there has been a lot of interest.

"We've said that we'll get everything sorted here, then we'll go somewhere else and decide what is next," Mrs Arden said.

"People will think it's very strange. Other people have very grandiose plans for their retirement or a big house to go to – we don't have any of that. That will happen later.

"The people looking to buy it, we believe, will carry it on the way it is, which is very nice."

"We're just so committed to here," Mr Arden said. "We haven't even been on holiday since we got married 18 years ago."

One of the things they'll most miss are the customers.

"It's going to be very strange to adjust to not having people around all the time," they said.

Estate agents Fleurets said they believed the building had "excellent development potential".

An event was held at the pub on Tuesday to celebrate it being awarded the Camra Town Pub of the Year for the second time. For more information on the pub visit fleurets.com. The prize will join the many others they've won over the years on a wall within the pub.

Peter said: "We've started to run out of room.

"It's a great honour to be recognised, because it's an award that's made by the membership, rather than a committee. Then they have independent judges come through the area incognito, and they score you accordingly. It's a very fairly done award."

"There are a few things we do differently," Liz said. "We have our product, and that's the most important thing obviously, but we have a wonderful team."