The Shoulder of Mutton in Ashby-de-la-Zouch has been an inn since the mid-18th century, when it belong to the Adams family. Prior to being purchased by JD Wetherspoon it was owned and operated by Bass Worthington before falling into disrepair.
The pub itself is made up of a variety of different buildings, all of which were incorporated into the pub as it stands at different points over the past three centuries or so. From Market Street the pub looks fairly ordinary and unassuming, but from the rear it announces itself as a large, welcoming pub, full of character.
It’s most impressive when entering through the beer garden, where two large brick extensions add a contemporary feel to the otherwise traditional and historic set of buildings. Its large barn doors and tall windows give it a farm-like feel, admittedly quite different to a typical Wetherspoon pub, but inviting nonetheless.
Inside the pub is a wonderful mixture of traditional and contemporary, with cosy, secluded areas showcasing and a brick-enclosed fireplace. In the more historic end of the pub, facing out onto Market Street, the seating areas feature exposed wooden beams and dark wood panelling on the walls.
In the more contemporary end of the pub the décor manages to feel consistent despite its differences, with semi-circular booths and exposed roof trusses giving the room a well-lit, open feel.
The bar area is wonderfully bright, with a huge skylight above bathing the exposed brick and tall tables in natural light. The bar continues to show off the wonderful roof trusses with a slightly industrial touch from the metal accents of the bar.
The toilets quite proudly adhere to the stereotype of Wetherspoon toilets being upstairs, taking it one step further by putting the men’s toilets on the first floor, and the women’s on the second. The toilets are quite wonderfully decorated though, with exposed beams, bronze tiling and even a fireplace in the men’s toilets.
Uniquely (this was the first time we’d encountered this, and we’ve not encountered it since) the men’s was actually split into two separate rooms – one with cubicles and a couple of sinks, and the other with urinals and a couple of sinks. It’s an interesting idea, although I did have a moment of serious concern when I first stepped into the cubicle-only room!
Of particular note was the old cellar, which appeared to be used nowadays to store no less than 56 litres of Smirnoff. No doubt all Wetherspoons fly through vodka, but this seemed to be a serious case of over-stocking!
Ratings (out of 5)
We both rate the pub based on three criteria; the building, the interior and the toilets. These scores are averaged out to give the pub its overall rating. You can read more about the rating system here.
Building: 4.5 & 4.0
Interior: 5.0 & 5.0
Toilets: 4.0 & 4.5
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