Take a look inside Lincoln’s revamped micropub

Lincoln’s smallest pub will re-open under a new name next week as a local couple get ready to launch their next business venture.

Lee Lucas, 49, and Louise Mobbs, 50, currently co-own The Enliven Lounge beauty salon in Birchwood and, until recently, they also ran the cafe next door.

They decided to close the cafe at Easter and throw their energy into the micropub on Lincoln’s lower High Street.

The city’s only micropub was formerly known as Hop and Barley until it closed down in March 2019 after just under three years in business.

New owner Lee told The Lincolnite that they have started from scratch, ripped everything out and put their own mark on the tiny pub, which will now be called The Imp & Angel.

Take a look inside. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The finishing touches are still being put in place ahead of The Imp & Angel’s soft opening on Tuesday, July 9 with a mini celebration planned on Saturday, July 13.

It will create two to three new local part-time jobs.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Just one of the many drinks customers will be able to choose from. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lee told The Lincolnite: “I am massively excited. There has been a lot of stresses and frustrations along the way, but we are pleased with it and we think it will be even better than expected.

“The Imp & Angel is more appealing to a wider range of people. It’s a bar for everyone, not just a real ale bar.

“My passion and the focus of the pub is real ale and craft beers, but in my eyes where the pub went wrong before is it isolated some people.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

“We want to improve the alcohol offer with draught beers, cider, wines, spirits and soft drinks too. A real ale pub can work, but you need to cater for everyone.

“We wanted to keep it local and embrace a lot of local breweries, as well as keeping the local identity with the football and the community and the legend of the Imp and the Angel at the cathedral.”

The Imp & Angel at 417 High Street in Lincoln. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lee added that they have permission to build a small kitchen on the side, so will be offering hot food in the coming months. This will include a burger menu, pie and chips, steak, pizza, “almost like a takeaway that you eat in”.

He added: “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and toyed with before. Now the kids are grown up, with the youngest 17 next week, it is a case of this time of life I’m able to say I can now work later without it being detriment to family life.”

Louise Mobbs, Lee Lucas and daughter Jaime-leigh.

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