Pub of the Week: The Black Prince, Ynysddu, Caerphilly

The Black Prince in Ynysddu has come back from the brink, after it was set to close in June this year, however new owners Chris Wall and Mike Gregg have taken over the reins and recently re-opened the pub on Friday, July 12.

The pair, who have been together for 13 years, have managed to keep on the previous staff and officially re-opened the pub's restaurant on Monday, August 5, and created a further six new jobs for the community.

As a much-loved community pub, The Black Prince had become particularly well-known for their "amazing" Sunday lunches in recent years, something that Mike and Chris have ensured remains by keeping on the previous staff, including the old owners, which they say is a "privilege". 

New owners Chris Wall and Mike Gregg say it is a privilege to have taken over ownership of The Black Prince with the help of the previous owners (Image: Mike Gregg) One of the biggest selling points of The Black Prince is the warm, friendly feel, something that Mike says he and Chris have felt for more than a decade, as they are also village locals. 

Mike said: "We were privileged to be taking over the Black Prince as this has been our local for the last 13 years and we are good friends with the previous owners.

"We have been going to The Black Prince for years and know most of the community that drinks in the pub. It is a very friendly pub and very homely.

"Everyone is very friendly and talks to every customer who comes in. All the staff that were working for the previous owner also work for us, meaning that no jobs were lost in the switch over. The previous owners are very good friends so we have all known each other for years.

"When we saw that the pub was about to close, we contacted the landlord of the building straight away to show our interest in taking the pub on to ensure that the local community did not lose another great pub.

"We were ecstatic when the previous owners said that they wanted to stay and work for us, not only because they are good friends of ours but because of their experience of being part of the pub industry in the last five years.

"We look forward to serving the local community for many years to come and appreciate all the support that has been given by everyone since the take over."

Mike says that the pub is "very popular" with locals, as well as visitors to the area due to their location on a main road. As a result, they often have passers-by dropping in for a drink or two of an afternoon or evening. 

Madri is among the most popular drinks available at The Black Prince (Image: Mike Gregg) The pub has lots of live sports and havs artists in at least once a month. There is a juke box available, a dart board, and a pool table.

Among the most popular drinks available are Madri, Guinness, and Harry Western. 

Mike and Chris are proud that The Black Prince is child-friendly - they even built a specially designed gated play area when they took over ownership, to ensure the safety of children. 

Dogs are welcome in the bar areas, and water bowls are always on offer for four-legged friends. 

The Black Prince now has a gated play area to help keep young children and dogs safe (Image: Mike Gregg)

The Black Prince's restaurant is currently open for food between noon and 8pm Monday to Friday and for Sunday lunches between noon and 4pm on Sundays, with plans to open for food on Saturdays in the near future. 

The pub is open from noon until at least 10pm every evening of the week. 

Mike and Chris already have a slew of events planned, right up to Christmas, including a Beyoncé tribute for Friday, August 30 and an outdoor singer and retro band on Saturday, August 31. 

When asked what advice they would give to encourage people to support their local pub, Mike and Chris said: "We want everyone to treat the pub as their second home and feel relaxed when having a cold one.

"Every local pub needs the support of the local community and all we ask is that they respect the pub as they would their own property."