The Unicorn Inn, Lutterworth, Leicestershire (Updated January 2021)

Original Post July 2012

The Unicorn Inn is an old favourite of mine from when I lived in South Leicestershire in the late 80's. Pubs like this are often described as being 'Basic', or 'No-Frills'. I think this does pubs like the Unicorn a great disservice.

I was in what I would describe as a basic pub today. A recent bland identikit refurbishment of a historic village local. Pointless vintage items dotted around the pub, none of which have any connection with the village or its community. 90% of the space given over to dining. The main attraction in the token bar area was the plasma screen showing sport. Lighting too low, noise levels too high, beer range very average. There was little sign of anyone being there to mix socially or step out of the cosy comfort zone of their own social clique. Basic, boring, and sadly all too common. I couldn't wait to get out of there.

The Unicorn is a genuine town centre locals pub which has changed little over the years. It doesn't need to because what it does, it does so well. The owners, staff, and locals are a friendly bunch, happy to chat, and welcoming to visitors like ourselves. The bar is a regular meeting place for people who still appreciate the true value of pubs as neutral venues to mix socially, drink good beer, and play the kind of games which have been enjoyed in the area for generations. There really is nothing basic about the Unicorn at all. It's a fine, unpretentious pub, alive with complex social interaction, and I love it!

Table Skittles and Darts are the principal games played at the Unicorn. The pub field several teams in the various local skittles leagues, including Mens, Womens, and Mixed teams. The skittles fixture list can get so crowded at times in the Unicorn, that a second table has been set up in the lounge for additional games.

The trophy cabinet in the bar of the Unicorn is quite large by necessity, and crammed with silverware from many years of success in the various games played at the pub.

This photo in the bar shows the team of the long closed Engine Inn, Ullesthorpe near Lutterworth, winners of the Ullesthorpe & District Darts League (1951-52)

Update January 2021

Almost ten years have passed since this post and I still feel the same way about The Unicorn Inn, it's still one of my favourite Leicestershire pubs, in fact I'd put it in my UK top 10. Which is of course an entirely subjective assessment. Clearly there are better pubs in the UK for the beer enthusiast, pubs that are more attractive or in more beautiful settings, perhaps even pubs that serve a better Cheese & Onion Cob! It's a real favourite of mine because it's the kind of pub that when I find myself yearning for the perfect pint in the perfect pub, it's more often than not the Unicorn that springs to mind.

Given the current moribund state of pub-going under this latest unfortunate lockdown, many of us have an almost constant yearning for that perfect pint in the perfect pub, and no, it really isn't about the beer. Even in the very depths of lockdown, most of us have found that it's easy enough to find good beer to drink at home. But even the most enthusiastic of beer enthusiasts are finding that beer at home is a far lesser experience than a good pint in a good pub with good company. Perhaps something of an awakening for some of us...

So the Unicorn Inn has been on my mind a bit more than usual lately, and as one of the handful of pubs that I aim to visit regularly throughout the year, and have therefore witnessed a few changes at the pub, I felt the time was right to update this post with a few of my more recent photos.

When I say 'changes' I have to say that very little of the true essence of the pub has changed, although recent work to become 'COVID compliant' has perhaps had the most impact. It's still a thoroughly traditional town-centre two-roomer. The plusher lounge for those who find the bar just that little bit too earthy, but lately catering for the overspill of folk like me who absolutely love the bar but can't be squeezed-in safely under the new social distancing rules. Remarkably, the original off-sales serving hatch (right), something I've never actually seen in use, was pressed into service for takeaways and offsales during the late Summer period when pubs were allowed to trade for a brief, joyous time.

The bar has had a new carpet, which it certainly needed to be honest. The big trophy cabinet over the fireplace was removed a few years ago, with a prize pair of vintage Bass Burton Ale plaques taking its place. The open fire still smoulders away when required, the televised sport a constant companion, though always on mute whenever I've been in.

Games of all kinds sadly ground to a halt last year, most leagues wrapping things up at the end of the Winter season if they were lucky. This is just one aspect of the disaster that's struck community locals like the Unicorn, though I've reason to believe the pub owning company have been supportive throughout this pandemic. The photo above was taken well before the pandemic took hold (note the old carpet!), and as you can see we were delighted to share Domino space in the bar with a table of regular players, though I don't believe there's a Domino League active in the area. The Skittles Table is still in situ in the bar, though sadly no longer in use. Skittles is a hard game to play with social distancing rules, in fact the only game I've seen being played at the pub recently is Darts, one of the very few pub games that can be played without the need to share equipment. The floating arm in the photo below is a result of a panoramic sweep, but note the somewhat stripped-down and redecorated interior for the COVID era, and of course the new carpet!