Main Street

Stowting

01303 862130

http://www.tigerinn.pub/desktop/

https://whatpub.com/tiger-inn

Above photo 2001, kindly submitted by Roy Hopkins.

Above photo 2001, kindly submitted by Roy Hopkins.

The Tiger at Stowting December 2005 by Paul Skelton.

Sign left, 2005 by Paul Skelton, sign right 2023, by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo kindly sent and taken by Rory Kehoe 2023.

Above matchbox, circa 1980s, kindly sent by Debi Birkin.

In 1980 or thereabouts the villagers of Stowting had tired of the name “Anchor”, so some of the pub regulars decided to put their suggestions for a new name in a bucket and the pub would be called by whichever name was drawn. The winning name, the "Tiger Inn" was entered into the draw because a tiger had supposedly once escaped from a travelling circus and was recaptured nearby using a bedspread.

The oldest part of the building dates hack to the 1600s, but most of the additions were carried out in 1839. However, in 1946, when a Mackeson employee visited the pub, he observed that: “There were no counters, a serving hatch being used. Ceiling – Plaster breaking away and needs repair. Walls – Damp in places and brickwork breaking away. There was no piped water to the washing up area. Comment – Rebuild or alterations. Brewery comment – Neither!”

However, money was spent on renovation work and in 1931 a new scullery and porch were added at a cost of £150, and that same year the forming and tarring of the forecourt cost £46. The rent during this period was a modest £3/15/- a quarter. During 1953 the pub generator was sold for £10, and in 1954 a bathroom and water closet were installed at a cost of £530. The pub also boasted a skittles alley and, in pre-war days, the landlord would ring a cow bell to draw attention to closing time.

However, on 25th March 1976, Whitbread sold the pub, returning it to being a free house, after which it continued to trade on a reasonable basis until the mid 1990s, when the owner, who also ran another pub on nearby Stone Street, got into financial difficulties and had to sell up.

There were fears that the pub would either close down or be turned into a “theme” pub, and to prevent this happening it was purchased by a consortium of villagers who worked to build up the business over more than 15 years, before selling the pub on to Innflair Ltd, a business operated by the Nixon family, who have a long history of running food-led family pubs and restaurants. Nowadays the pub presents as a character building, sympathetically restored with an excellent restaurant offering candlelit dining.

It still has hitching posts for parking your equine mounts.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Chris Britcher, 1 June 2021. The Tiger Inn in Stowting reopens after six-figure refurbishment. A village pub is welcoming customers again after changing hands and undergoing £100,000 of improvements to the kitchen alone. The Tiger Inn in Stowting, between Folkestone and Ashford, was acquired in March by the Marquis Hotel Group. The new-look inside of The Tiger in Stowting. The firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ashford-based GSE Property Group which also snapped up and revamped the nearby "Marquis of Granby" in Alkham. The pub will be leased and managed by Contemporary Pubs Ltd, a family-run business headed up by Will and Nadine Sheldon. Mr Sheldon, managing director of Contemporary Pubs, said: “The pub always had a great name and our families have known and frequented The Tiger for many years. When the opportunity came up to add it to our portfolio, we jumped at the chance. “We have built a great team since opening the "Marquis of Granby" in 2019, and we are confident for the future of our industry and the communities we serve. I’m sure that will bring opportunities for us to add to the "Tiger Inn" and the "Marquis of Granby".” Improvements include a state-of-the-art new kitchen and a change in the position of the bar to make it more central. Will and Nadine Sheldon with their son, Monty. Nadine Sheldon, director, added: “We will be offering dining inside for 75 covers, with a further 90 places outside on the new terrace. “Moving the bar makes the whole pub a more spacious, welcoming place for our guests to relax and unwind. We’ve also created an exciting new area on the first floor, which means we now have a dedicated space for private dining for business and special occasions. “We will serve local wines and spirits, as well as Kent and Sussex real ales from the original beer engines that have been restored as part of the refurbishment.” The Tiger in Stowing has been given a refurbishment. The Tiger’s menu is overseen by Contemporary Pubs’ executive chef, Steve Piddock. He has worked at many leading restaurants, including two-star Michelin ones, and was recently promoted from chef at the Marquis. The pub will be managed by Dickie Freeman.

LICENSEE LIST

JARVIS  Benn & OLIVER Emma 2005-08+

FREEMAN Dickie 2021+