A pub named one of Britain’s roughest boozers has undergone a complete turnaround and become a favourite of locals and tourists after being taken over by an England rugby star.
The Swordfish in Newlyn, Cornwall used to be infamous for mass brawls involving drunken fishermen as well as the Newlyn Knockout – a potent cocktail of vodka, drambuie and absinthe.
The whitewashed harbourside venue featured on Sky TV’s Roughest pubs in Britain where former landlord Pete Bell said: ‘It’s a good old pub. It’s a rough pub. You have the odd instance where people throw glasses about or just break them on the floor for something to do.
‘Landing day is the most crucial day. That’s the first day they want to come in and they all want to get totally rat-arsed.’
Mr Bell also fondly remembered ejecting French fishermen from the pub for speaking their own language. He said: ‘The French – not a good one in my book.
‘I’ve had to throw them out when they get out of order. I don’t like them basically – I don’t mind saying it.
‘They make everybody uneasy because they don’t know what’s going on and they aren’t speaking a word of English. I go “no, I’ve had enough, out you go”.’
But in 2018 with business at The Swordfish slowing down due to the shrinking fishing industry in Newlyn, England rugby star Jack Nowell – who grew up 100m from the bar – took over with business partners Nicholas George and Mark George.
Since then the pub – affectionately nicknamed The Swordie – has become a popular live music venue and B&B with customers praising its friendly atmosphere.
Winger Jack, 32, who now plays his rugby for La Rochelle, told the Daily Mail: ‘That was the local pub when I was growing up. I lived just up the road in Newlyn and I remember being in there as a kid.
‘I remember going down there as a kid, I’d help dad land the fish onto the lorries then you’d go down to the pub and have a drink.
‘I remember The Swordfish being absolutely rammed – there were so many people it was packed and you’d push through adults’ legs trying to get from one side to the other.
‘I always remember thinking I can’t wait to be old enough to have a pint with my mates in here but when I got to 18 the pub was struggling and very empty – I was gutted.
‘But now on a Friday night with a live band and all the locals in there it’s back to how it used to be but it has changed a bit considering it was voted the third roughest pub in Britain.
‘I do remember it being rough and seeing fights but luckily my family is quite well known and I was the kid that got left alone. I remember bar fights with people having too many drinks and it spilling out into the street but the culture was different to now. That’s just what fishermen did in those days.’
And while Jack’s may be the name above the door, don’t expect to see him serving behind the bar anytime soon.
He said: ‘The only hands on I do is coming back, sitting in my chair and having a pint with my mates.
‘I try and get things across on my social media, I have occasionally worked the barbecue but when I’m home it’s normally for a very short space of time and I want to make sure I’m on the other side of the bar with my mates.’
One very loyal regular is Jack’s dad Michael Nowell, 55, who is still a fisherman – although these days owns a fishing business operating three beam trawlers from Newlyn.
He said: ‘For some reason my old man goes through stages of thinking he owns the pub and refusing to buy a drink so when I come home I’ve got a pretty hefty bar tab.’