Following an extensive renovation that has cost over £500,000, The Met, an authentic new sports bar by Davenports, will open its doors on 22nd June.
Trips to Nashville and New York inspired the moody interiors which include deep leather booths and quirky neon’s which add to the drama that will unfold on the huge media walls that surround the bar area, and ensure wherever you are sat in the venue, you’ll never miss a moment of your favourite sport.
The foodie offering also adds to the drama and appeal of the bar, with wickedly good American inspired dishes to include breakfast bagels, waffles and pancakes through to indulgent burgers, sharers and ice-cream sundaes – the Instaworthy ‘Feel Free to Waffle On’ and ‘Donut Let This Pass You By’ burgers are sure to prove popular as well as The Met’s own bespoke sauces!
Katie McPhilimey, Marketing Director for owners, Davenports Brewery explains the thinking behind the venue, and the sporting plans for the summer; “There has long been a history of sport in bars, it’s watched and debated in bars, and brings people together. The venue size allowed us to draw out all the authentic features of a sports bar, features that ensure it’s a place for all, to include sumptuous leather booths for friends and families, tables of two and more, and ‘Cheers-style’ barstools surrounding the imposing bar. We’ve had fun with the décor, from cheeky neon’s to sport-inspired artwork to include eye-catching pieces that make a trip to the bathroom an experience!”
Katie continued; “Sport, delicious food and great drinks are at the heart of The Met, with this in mind we have a series of Q&A’s lined up with sporting greats and well known TV pundits, that will make for super live entertainment this summer! We will share more over the coming weeks.”
Harry Higgs, GM of The Met said; “Incredible thought has gone into this venue, from the exciting menu to the super drinks line-up that offers something new for Walsall, it’s a place where everybody will feel welcome and catered for, a place to meet and get social, or get dirty…as our foodie menu suggests! It is a great experience that we offer which will include live entertainment scheduled around sport and a lovely new alfresco area.”
The Sports Bar and Themed Bar sector of the hospitality industry is a growing sector, it taps into people’s passions and naturally combines entertainment with great food and drink – it sets the scene for a sociable atmosphere. Sports audiences are growing rapidly with a greater number of sports, and a more diverse range of sports being shown to include women’s sports. The 2022 summer of sport was important for the hospitality industry, it drove footfall and sales in venues. It is a sector that Davenports, one of the oldest brewing houses in the UK, believes they can make an impact in.
To celebrate the launch, The Met are offering a Kids Eat Free promotion* (T&Cs apply) which runs throughout the summer until 4th September 2023. Invited guests and local businesses were invited to a soft launch on Wednesday 21st, they enjoyed a free bar and canapes and had a chance to look around the bar ahead of it officially opening on the 22nd June.
Ends.
For more information, please contact Katie.McPhilimey@Davenports.co.uk
The Met, 10 Wolverhampton St, Walsall WS2 8LR. Food served 11am -8pm (times may be extended due to sporting events) www.themetsportsbarbydavenports.co.uk Insta: @themetsportsbarwalsall
Kids Eat Free Promotion*
T&C’s*: One child eats free from the Kid’s Menu section for each full paying adult dining with them and ordering a main course (burgers, mains, and sandwiches only). The child must be 12-years of age and under. The child can choose one Kid’s main meal – desserts/drinks are excluded. This offer ends close of business 4th September 2023. The manager has final discretion, this offer is not transferable.
Davenports Brewery Interesting Facts
Davenports was established in 1829.
1902: A new branch of the business started – manufacturing, bottling and delivering Davenports non-deposit ale and stout.
1904: Davenports C.B Ltd, registered to supply ‘pure bottled ale and stout at the cheapest possible price’. Quickly reaching delivery to 15,000 homes.
Famous Legal Battle: In 1905 Davenports was accused of ‘Beer Hawking’, selling beer by retail at a place where they were not authorised (beer at home), It was viewed as a hugely important prosecution, fought brilliantly, and won by the very theatrical barrister, Mr Marshall-Hall K.C, on behalf of Davenports in the Victoria Law Courts. Marshall-Hall was later knighted. Davenports had paved the way for other brewers to follow a similar scheme.
The Co-operative beer bottle…A Double Inducement: Within a month of the dismissal of the beer hawking accusation, C.B Ltd launched its prospectus to potential shareholders in the company, which already had proven ‘progressive, substantial, and satisfactory’. Half of the shares were Ordinary and were divided equally between the three directors and John Davenport and Sons brewery, and half were advertised as customers’ shares. Those who bought them had to commit to buying ten shillings’ worth of bottled ale (CB) or Stour (CS) over a six-month period; if they didn’t do this, they had to sell their shares at the paid-up value. Holders of these shares were entitled to a 5% cumulative preference dividend and half of the surplus profits of the company in proportion to what they had spent in the year after 5% had been paid to the Ordinary shareholders. The FT wryly dubbed the scheme ‘A Co-operative Beer Bottle’, more seriously and optimistically, Davenports advertised it as ‘devised to give EVERY shareholder a double inducement to further the interests of the Company’.
Early pioneers in advertising. By 1910, it was obvious that much thought was put into making advertisements lively, pertinent, and appealing. With Davenports seen in national press.
1922 Motorised lorries expanded delivery capability.
Technology: in 1930, The Birmingham Daily Gazette stressed that few of Davenports’ rivals could claim to be as modern in equipment as Davenports which boasted ‘The very latest appliances that science and mechanics have evolved’. In total, three batteries of machines with ten machines in each turned out 120,000 bottles of beer every day!
Continued Investment: More investment in the bottling plant meant that a few years later, Davenports were capable of 24,000 bottles per hour!
Pioneers of Recycling: In the 1930’s, Davenports championed recycling bottles that were returned by customers. Scrupulously cleaned and chilled for reuse in two automatic bottle washing machines at the rate of 12,000 per hour.
1937: More than 250,000 regular customers.
Famous Slogan: In 1939, the ‘Beer At Home Means Davenports’ slogan was first introduced.
That Jingle: Davenports gained much publicity from an advert that featured marketing director Carl Daniels and a catchy ditty:
Beer at Home means Davenports,
That’s the beer, lots of cheer.
The finest hops with malt and yeast
Turns a snack into a feast.
Straight from brewery to your home,
Why collect, we’ll deliver.
Soon you’ll know why folks all say,
Beer at Home, means Davenports.
Costing little to make, it was credited with boosting sales to such an extent that in 1973 Davenports’ profits reached just under £1million compared to £86,000 in 1961.
2021: Despite the terrible impact of the pandemic on the industry, Davenports managed to acquire new pubs and venues, refurbish existing pubs whilst also launching ‘Beer At Home’.
Making A Difference:
Reducing box size and lessening void fills all adds to reducing lorries on roads each year.
2022: The Queens Head opened its doors on Steelhouse Lane Birmingham
2022: The Coach House wins Best Pub or Bar in Coventry & Warwickshire 2022 at the Foodie Awards.
2022: The Coach House wins Best Pub, Bar or Restaurant at The Stratford Herald Business & Tourism Awards.
2022: Davenports returns the brand to Kidderminster with the opening of The Post House, formerly the site of The Red Man pub.
2023: January, Davenports add the award-winning Littleton Arms in Penkridge to their portfolio.
2023: February, Davenports launches Drum Bitter, 3.6% ABV.
2023: Davenports announces work on a new sports bar, The Met.
June 22nd 2023: The Met opens its doors….
For more information, please contact Katie.McPhilimey@Davenports.co.uk
Third-party news items that are posted on the Guild website’s news section come from press releases received by the Guild. These press releases are posted as they have been received and their publication on the Guild website is intended as an informational service provided to our members and website visitors. As such, the publication of a story from a third-party source is neither an endorsement of the content, nor its sender, by the Guild. For enquiries on any news item, please use the contact details that can be found at the bottom of each post.