QUICK VERDICT
| Opportunity Type | Marston’s Partnership (Community Wet / Your Local) |
| Pubco | Marston’s |
| Weekly Sales Estimate | £4,500/week (Marston’s published estimate) |
| Security Deposit | £5,000 |
| Working Capital Needed | £15,000–£18,000 minimum |
| Trade Character | Community wet-led local, Leicestershire village, seven-day 11am–11pm |
| Best Suited To | Community operator seeking accessible first pub entry; Leicester commuter village demographic has hidden food upside |
| Shaun’s Rating | [ ] |
| Red Flag | Earl Shilton has a population of approximately 4,600. At £4,500/week from a single community pub, you’re likely the only serious pub in the immediate village. That’s both an opportunity and a responsibility — but it also means no safety net if your operation underperforms. |
THE LOCAL PICTURE
Earl Shilton (LE9) is a Leicestershire town of approximately 4,600
people, 5 miles from Hinckley and 6 miles from Leicester. Keats Lane
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(LE9 7DR) is a residential address in the town. Earl Shilton has a
traditional textile and hosiery manufacturing heritage similar to nearby
Hinckley, with the economy now diversified into logistics and light
manufacturing.
Key employers: the Hinckley and Bosworth economy (Triumph Motorcycles
heritage, light manufacturing, logistics), Leicester city’s retail and
professional economy at commuting distance, NHS Nuneaton and Coventry.
No Wetherspoons in Earl Shilton; nearest is Hinckley or Leicester at
5–6 miles. The Dog & Gun at 4.5 Google stars is well-regarded for a
village community local.
The Leicestershire Coalfield communities around Earl Shilton —
Barwell, Hinckley, Earl Shilton — have strong community loyalty to
local pubs. The Dog & Gun’s 4.5-star rating tells you the existing
community values it genuinely.
WHAT THE PUB IS
The Dog & Gun trades 11am to 11pm seven days — a clean, simple
seven-day operation with no late licence complexity. Google 4.5 stars.
At £4,500/week with no competition from a Wetherspoons nearby and a
4.5-star rating, this is a well-positioned community local with the
potential to grow revenue through a food offer or events programme.
The traditional pub name, residential address and consistent hours
suggest a multi-room community local with character. The 4.5-star rating
from a Leicestershire community is earned through personal service and
consistent quality — protect it from day one.
THE MARSTON’S PARTNERSHIP DEAL
Your Local or Community Wet classification. The Marston’s management
charge on £4,500/week. The financial model requires careful cost
management: at this revenue level, every fixed cost line matters. The
Marston’s range — Pedigree, Banks’s, the Carlsberg group — plays
well in Leicestershire’s community pub market.
The food opportunity is real here. A simple quality lunch and evening
food offer in a Leicestershire commuter village with no immediate
Wetherspoons competition could add £500–800/week to the revenue base
without major kitchen investment. The 4.5-star community goodwill
creates the audience for it.
Request the Schedule of Condition carefully at handover. The Marston’s
maintenance responsibility means you need a clear record of building
condition at transfer — this is standard Pubs Code practice and
Marston’s will respect it when handled professionally.
FINANCIAL REALITY
| Metric | Figure |
| Weekly Sales Estimate | £4,500 (Source: Marston’s published estimate) |
| Annualised Revenue | \~£234,000 |
| Security Deposit | £5,000 |
| Working Capital Required | £15,000–£18,000 (liquid, not borrowed) |
| Ingoing Costs (est.) | £5,000–£10,000 total inc. deposit |
| Marston’s Management Charge | Percentage of net sales (confirm exact % pre-signing) |
| Staff Costs | Target minimal — owner-operated with part-time support |
| Break-Even Target | 18–24 months |
| Food Upside | Simple quality food addition could add £500–800/week at limited extra cost in this market |
PUBS CODE RIGHTS — KNOW BEFORE YOU SIGN
PUBS CODE RIGHTS — KNOW BEFORE YOU SIGN
| – | Independent rent assessment (Pubs Code right — exercise it) |
| – | Request P&L projections from Marston’s before signing |
| – | Obtain Schedule of Condition — protect yourself on dilapidations |
| – | Get the tied product price list before you agree terms |
| – | Complete Marston’s pre-entry training programme (mandatory) |
| – | You can request a free Market Rent Only option assessment |
| – | Right to independent advice on terms from a qualified RICS surveyor |
WHO THIS SUITS
A first pub operator with strong community hospitality foundations
seeking an accessible entry point in a stable Leicestershire market. The
low deposit, simple trading pattern and strong 4.5-star community rating
make this a low-risk starting position.
Someone who wants to be embedded in a community and build a loyal local
base. Food capability would significantly improve the commercial
picture. Must be owner-present. Minimum £15,000 liquid capital.
WHAT WORKS / WHAT DOESN’T
WHAT WORKS
| – | Protecting and building the 4.5-star community goodwill from day one |
— be present, be consistent, know your regulars
| – | Adding a simple food offer to the Leicester commuter demographic — |
Earl Shilton families who work in Leicester or Hinckley have
disposable income and appetite for quality local food
| – | Community events: quiz, darts, pool — the traditional community |
pub calendar that keeps weekday sessions alive
| – | No Wetherspoons within 5 miles removes the price pressure that |
undermines many community locals
WHAT DOESN’T WORK
| – | Neglecting the food opportunity in a market where you’re the main |
local option and the demographic can support it
| – | Over-changing the pub in the first year — the 4.5-star rating |
reflects the existing community’s relationship with the pub; earn
your own version of it before you change anything
| – | Under-capitalising — have your £15,000 liquid before you open, not |
as borrowings
WHAT YOU NEED ON DAY ONE
A simple EPOS with stock module configured against the tied price list
before opening. Monthly professional stocktaking from day one. If adding
food, include kitchen printer in your EPOS setup from the start. Know
your GP every single week.
GET YOUR NUMBERS RIGHT BEFORE YOU SIGN
Before you sign anything, know your numbers.
Pub Command Centre gives you real-time labour %, VAT and cash position
from day one. £97 once.