After 26 years, a ton of portions of Mongolian lamb, salt and pepper chicken, Satay Chicken and crispy chilli beef (To name a few of the popular dishes) The Boot Inn at Shipton Bellinger calls time on an illustrious period of culinary delights.
Lee and Sally Turland owners of the business have decided to call it a day. With the pandemic and the soaring prices of everything the couple decided now was the time to close. The Boot Inn is not tied to any brewery which means Lee and Sally have no support like other chain restaurants and pubs that have the luxury of that.
Lee told Andover Radio “With the soaring prices of utilities and produce it has become very difficult to make a profit. Our electric bill has increased by £350 a week and we pride ourselves on the quality of produce we use and the chicken we buy has doubled in price over the last year”.
Sally told us “These last 2 years have been the most difficult for us. We have also suffered personally with health issues and it is with great sadness that we have to do this. It has affected us emotionally and financially and with more people moving away from the hospitality sector it has been difficult to get additional staff”.
Lee added “We would love to thank all our staff and supporting customers from the bottom of our hearts”
The pub has been a staple of the village since Lee took it over and oversaw a rapid change and high standards of quality food served that saw the establish restaurant build a loyal customer base. The Boot Inn was famed for having “Possibly the largest menu in the world” in the 90’s and early 00’s as Lee took inspiration from many cuisines from around the world. Over time the menu was refined and some of the famed classics still remained.
It has been part of Lee and Sally’s life for over 2 decades and the couple live there and will continue to live there. Lee’s children have grown up there too and the business has provided many employment opportunities for local people.
The Boot Inn under Lee and Sally’s ownership will be sorely missed and as they prepare to close on 31st July they are taking their final bookings. So book now to ensure that you get a table before they close and if you’ve never been to the Boot Inn, then what are you waiting for, you’ll find out what you’ve been missing all these years.
Call the team on 01980 842279 to book in now.
