Blue Anchor

12/11/2026

Some pubs have live entertainment. We just give the landlady a cloth and put George Formby on. 🪟 🍺 🎸

10/11/2026

TWIT-TWOO 🦉

The Owl in Loughton 😍

The pictures tell the story here! 📸

🍍 Sanjeev Guram is the new Management Partner: "The Owl has been part of life in Epping Forest since 1776, and it's a privilege to be looking after it. It's one of the most beautiful pub settings in Essex, and my aim is simple: to make it the first-place people think of for food, drink and celebration!"

08/11/2026

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

Today we remember and honour those who served, those who gave their lives, and those who continue to serve.

To mark the occasion, we’ll have Hero IPA on the bar today — a fitting pint for a day of remembrance. Hogs Back Brewery donate a percentage of every pint to Help for Heroes.

Lest we forget. 🌺

05/11/2026

Poor Tom is feeling a little sad… 😢

The pub has been looking a bit 'well-loved' lately, and after one hell of a summer, we can’t really blame it! 😂

But there’s good news — having been so pleased with the progress we’ve made at The Blue Anchor, Punch have decided it’s time for a little spruce up!! So .... we’re getting a bit of TLC in all the right places. ✨

And that’s largely down to you lovely, gorgeous customers who take the time to support us!

You gave us an absolutely cracking summer — filling the pub, eating, drinking, dancing, singing, laughing and generally keeping us very, very busy!

So thank you. ❤️

Now let’s get the place looking as good as the summer felt. 🍻⚓️

31/10/2026

Our wonderful Lou is ready and willing to paint your beautiful faces!

31/10/2026

MEET YOUR SUSPECTS! ☠️

There’s a murder afoot…
The crew has been assembled, the rum is flowing, but one of our pirates has a deadly secret...

Get to know the faces aboard our ship, because one of them is a cold-blooded killer! But who could it be? 🤔

LAST ORDERS AT THE BLUE ANCHOR

🕘 6pm–9pm� .... Come aboard whenever you like! You can arrive, and take part in the mystery at any time between 6 and 9pm – the suspects will be waiting for you!

🔎 Identify the murderer correctly and you'll win yourself a FREE SHOT!
Will you catch the culprit, or will they escape justice?

There's only one way to find out...

GOOD LUCK, YE SCALLYWAGS! 🏴‍☠️💀

30/10/2026

🎃👻 HALLOWEEN WEEKEND AT THE BLUE! 👻🎃

Things are about to get a little spooky at The Blue Anchor… 🕷️

🧛 TONIGHT – FRIDAY
🎸 RISING TIDE | 9PM
Kick off Halloween weekend with a bang!

💀 TOMORROW – SATURDAY
🎨 2–4PM: FREE KIDS' FACE PAINTING
🔪 6–9PM: IMMERSIVE MURDER MYSTERY
Think you can solve the crime? Get involved, follow the clues and see if you can unmask the killer! 🕵️‍♀️
🎸 9PM: NICK T – LIVE MUSIC TO ROUND OFF THE NIGHT!

Bring the kids, gather your friends, put on your best Halloween outfits and get ready for a weekend of spooky shenanigans! 🧙‍♀️

⚓ The Blue Anchor – where things go bump in the night! 👻

30/10/2026

🍻 History, quality and community spirit all under one roof.

A huge congratulations to The Sportsman Inn in Carlisle on being crowned City Pub of the Year by Solway CAMRA.

For centuries, The Sportsman has been at the heart of Carlisle's pub scene, and today it continues to set the standard. From perfectly kept cask ales and delicious home-cooked food to the warm welcome that greets every customer, the team consistently delivers the kind of experience that keeps people coming back.

Its reputation speaks for itself. Alongside previous honours such as Winter Pub of the Season, The Sportsman has earned regular recognition in the CAMRA Good B**r Guide and remains one of the city's most loved traditional pubs.

This latest award celebrates the passion, hard work and dedication of the entire team, who continue to preserve the pub's rich heritage while making it a thriving destination for b**r lovers and the local community alike.

👏 Congratulations to our Publican, Amanda Picken, and everyone at The Sportsman Inn on another fantastic achievement.

29/10/2026

🎃 Halloween weekend is here!! Starting it out in style! 💙

29/10/2026

The open mic is going TREMENDOUSLY!

Laura kicking us off! She's FAB!

29/10/2026

🌊🎸 RISING TIDE IS COMING IN HOT! 🎸🌊

TOMORROW!!

Three musicians. A powerhouse female front. Three decades of absolute bangers. And absolutely no excuse to stay sitting down! 🕺💃

🔥 RISING TIDE are bringing the hits from the 80s, 90s and 00s to The Blue Anchor — serving up the songs you know, the choruses you can't resist and the tunes that'll have you singing along whether you know all the words or not!

Expect big vocals, big tunes and a proper Friday night atmosphere. 🍻

📅 Friday 30th October
⏰ 9pm

Round up your mates, warm up those vocal cords and get yourselves down to The Blue. It's going to be a good one! ⚓🎶

27/10/2026

WOW 🔥

This has been such an honour to be a part of!

Huge thanks to Coca-Cola for championing community leaders around the UK and for picking our very own Simon Dafforn-jones as Local Royalty!

It was a privilege to have portrait artist to royalty, Jamie Coreth, capture Simon in his natural habitat, the FBI.

Read more here 👇🏼

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/pub-landlord-given-royal-treatment-37812329

20/10/2026

At Punch, we're proud to see young talent thrive across our pubs and support teams. From first jobs to leadership roles, remains one of the UK's greatest industries for developing skills, building confidence and creating rewarding careers.

That's why we're backing a hospitality-wide call to Government ahead of the Budget, championing the sector's ability to create jobs and opportunities for young people.

Hear Harry Bourne's story and why he's proud to support this message.

07/10/2026

Britain’s pubs are worth up to £30 billion in wellbeing value to communities across the UK. But rising costs and high taxes are putting pressure on pubs that bring people together.

This Week of Action, join the campaign today and tell your MP to keep pubs open and pints affordable.

https://www.longlivethelocal.pub/letter 🍍

25/09/2026

Actress Daisy Edgar-Jones filmed 🎥 a promo for her new film, Sense and Sensibility in our Canonbury pub, The Marquess Tavern for Vogue 🥰

The team at Vogue were searching for a shooting location that oozes class, was timeless and in-keeping with the theme of the movie... so where else were they going to film?! 😏

Take a look at the promo - Daisy is in character as Elinor Dashwood throughout!

Sense and Sensibility hits cinemas TODAY! 🎬Why not pop into The Marquess Tavern to wash down your popcorn! 🍿🍷

!

22/09/2026

We're on board, are you?

Join thousands backing Britain's pubs and breweries.

www.longlivethelocal.pub ❤️🍺

21/09/2026

This pub is a gem! 💎

The Wig & Mitre in Lincoln's Cathedral Quarter has reopened following a £100k investment. ⛪

Anne-Marie and Paul Balcomb have taken on the 14th century pub... "We’re thrilled to take control of such an iconic pub and can’t wait to meet all of our wonderful guests" ❤️

📷 Courtesy of Tory McTernan

17/09/2026

Welcome to The Buck Inn 🦌

New Management Partner Adrian McShane-Chapman has taken over the Thornton-le-Dale pub following a whopping £490k investment 🤑

🗨️ “I arrived in the UK 22 years ago from Australia, armed with just a backpack and no real plan... I’ve dipped in and out of hospitality over that time but the fire inside me to run my own pub burned bright.” - Adrian

If you're in Yorkshire, pay Adrian and his team a visit and check out this stunning pub for yourselves. 🤩

15/09/2026

Rory takes the keys to the refurbished Cross Keys pub in Nottingham! 🗝️

Our new Management Partner Rory Calladine has taken the reins at the popular city centre pub following a £100,000 investment.

🗨️"I was instantly drawn to the pub and as soon I discovered it was available in a partnership with Punch, I jumped at the chance." 🍍

Regular guests at The Cross Keys will instantly notice the pub’s traditional feel and special characteristics have been retained throughout but that a complete refresh has taken place. 💫

11/09/2026

We have reopened the Keyworth Tavern following a quarter-of-a-million refurbishment 🔥

The Keyworth pub in Nottingham, run by our Management Partner John Francis, had been closed for 5 weeks while we tore out the bar, stripped the pub back and replaced everything with new, modern furnishings. 🤩

Great work by everyone involved in the transformation 🥂