Salmon Tail to become Irish pub

Stratford’s Salmon Tail is set to become an Irish pub under a new name of The Paddock, in a nod to the nearby racecourse.

Despite the challenges affecting the pub trade at present, Chris Creassy managing director of the Melt Pub Company, is confident that the change is exactly what the Salmon Tail needs.

Chris, who will be the tenant of the EI group premises, may have only been in the pub industry since January 2020, but he is no stranger to Stratford as he currently runs the Keys on Ely Street, The Bull on Bull Street and the Snitterfield Arms.

He has ambitious plans to open ten pubs in total, five in Warwickshire and five in the Bath area.

Chris, 50, said: “I’m still waiting for the final paperwork, but hopefully it’ll all be sorted by the end of this week. I’m planning to rename the Salmon Tail as The Paddock and give it an Irish theme.

“It’ll be Stratford’s first Irish pub, I used to work in the export business and when you went somewhere you’d always search Irish Bar or Jazz bar to see if there was one nearby, I think it’s a bit strange that Stratford’s not got one.

“I’m giving it a complete overhaul and I’m also planning to re-open it as a bed and breakfast like it used to be. There’ll be Irish music and an Irish whiskey wall too.

“I chose the name The Paddock because of how close the pub is to the Racecourse.”

Since first taking over the pubs in Stratford, Chris, who says he is a fan of the arts, has thought outside of the box, running comedy nights and hosting plays in the outdoor areas at the Bull and the Keys.

The Paddock is set to re-open on 17th May following refurbishment.