JESS AND PETE
Jess and Pete Tatlow, the owners of The Golden Fleece would like to welcome you to their pub and dining rooms.
Jess and Pete both grew up in the local area and had fond memories of the pub under previous owners. After the pub had been closed for 10 years they were presented with a an opportunity to restore it to it’s former glory and took possession of it in 2010. They were keen to retain and enhance many of the buildings original features, and they kept this in mind during the extensive refurbishments, carried out by local tradesmen. Jess and Pete’s aim was to breathe new life into the business and have ensured that it has regained it’s place at the heart of the community as a delightful village pub and dining rooms.
Their goal is to exceed their customer expectations, to be welcomed by the friendly, well trained staff and to experience a wide variety of excellent food and drink. Many of the staff have been with Jess and Pete for a number of years, both here and at their previous pub in Watton-at-Stone. All the staff are well informed about the drinks that they serve. They can advise customers as to the suitability of dishes on the menu for their individual dietary requirements.
Jess has a flair for cooking and regularly updating the menus. As the head chef, she runs the kitchen team ensuring the consistently high quality of freshly prepared dishes.
Pete manages the front of house and personally selects a wide variety of local ales and beers alongside the well-loved Adnams Southwold bitter. The wines are hand-picked to compliment the menus and there is a fantastic array of spirits.
A Long History at the Centre of Our Community
The Golden Fleece dates back to the 17th century, having been known as The White Lion and The White Horse in its early days.
It was in the 1840’s when it was owned by William Henry Welch that it became known as The Golden Fleece. In 1848 Welch made a will, leaving the pub to his four children. He outlived his wife and died in 1858. In 1865, three of the four siblings agreed to sell their share to their sister Harriet for the sum of £750. A copy of the original Indenture detailing these events is displayed in the bar.
Braughing was strongly driven by agriculture and trade and the name of The Golden Fleece is believed to be linked to the sheep farming and wool trade which was an important part of the local economy.
The pub was in constant use until the latter part of the 20th century when it was left derelict after a failed attempt to convert it to a residence. Jess and Pete were thrilled to buy the building in February 2010 and re-opened it for business in July of the same year.
Covid
During Covid, Jess and Pete offered a grocery collection and delivery service for the village at a time when Supermarkets were having supply issues. This proved a real success allowing locals to stay safe and still get there fresh produce and shopping and so continued throughout the various lockdowns. When the second lockdown came into force a take-away service was started and again became an instant success – so much so that it continues today. Even special occasion take-aways such as Valentines night, Mothers day and Burns night were offered during Covid – so that customers could still treat themselves. When the village Post Office closed we collaborated with Standon Post Office to offer a pop up Post Office 2 mornings a week for the village, which has proved especially popular.
