We are proud to announce that the Red Lion here in Weymouth has been included in three of the leading pub guides in 2015. Brian and the team have worked very hard since we took on the Red Lion five years ago to establish the pub as a pub to enjoy all year round. The Red Lion has been invested in twice since 2009 the latter restoration was just prior to the 2012 Olympic sailing events. We appreciate the support of our customers throughout the year such as the life boat crew who use the pub along with many local people and of course all the visitors to Weymouth who have helped us create a little institution. From Brian and our hard working team and our summer band ‘Replay’. Thank you!!

The three guides are the Good Pub Guide, The Sawdays Guide and the AA Pub Guide…..we are still working on the Good Beer guide hoping they will recognise our commitment to real ale.

It was a lovely day weather wise and lots of folk turned up to remember the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Normandy landings that took place on 6th June 1944. Fancy dress was worn and old wartime songs were sung as people danced in Hope Square. An old police station was built in the square along with recruitment offices for wartime personnel!! The authenticity of the uniforms and the effort made was excellent.

The sun shone for Dorset Seafood Festival 2014 where we unveiled our outside ‘barrel’ bar. There was a great atmosphere in and around the pub. It was perfect weather for a nice cold Pimms and Lemonade.

Each day we enjoyed Replay who did a great job at getting the crowds dancing in the square. We were also treated to a performance from the Fishwives who entertained us with their classic songs!

Dorset Seafood Festival is continuing to grow each year and is a great event to visit next year if you missed 2014!

A massive Thank You to all the team for working really hard over this busy weekend.

Every June (normally the first weekend after the May Whitsun bank holiday weekend) Hope Square plays host to many traditional and modern folk bands and individuals playing to a large and enthusiastic audience on the main stage of the event. The quayside too has acts either alfresco or tucked in to the corners of pubs doing their thing. A great time was had by all and its free! The event takes up Saturday and Sunday and this year 2014 had to be the best year yet. From all at the Red Lion we would like to thank all who supported the event and here’s to next year!

REG MEUROSS (with Jess Vincent) – Album Launch.
O’Dalaigh’s Ceilidh Band
Alex Roberts
The Bow legged Skeeter
Lazybird
Shadrack Tye
Fabian Holland
JC and Angelina
Tinderbox
the Grimaldi Band
Darren Hodge
Megan Linford
Jesters
Joe Butcher
Victorian Barbers
The Flowing
Wight Hot Pipes
Dorset Wrecks
Alan Kirkpatrick and John Shaw
The Stone Donkey pilots
Ange Hardy
Gaz Brookfield
Devils Rejects
The infamous Wild Rover set
Unprepared Jug Band
Moonshine – Appalachian
La Rooster
Weymouth Ukeleans

After the amazing August of 2012 with the sailing Olympics and all the joy and pride the sailing brought to Weymouth…not to mention all those visitors, we could be excused thinking a quieter year was ahead of us in 2013!!

The winter was long and harsh and we really were thinking ‘here we go again’ another summer without any sun!!! But we were proved so wrong. Not since 2006 has it been so lovely and the Red Lion with its 140 seats outside enjoyed many visitors too.

We had said when we planned our events and music outside let’s hope for a warm sunny summer and we managed to get one. Seafood festival was the biggest yet having been cancelled on the Saturday in 2012 because of gales and flooding!!

The good news is that this was the year our landlord Brian bought a boat!! Maybe that’s what has changed the weather………let’s hope so.

Big thanks to all the customers that visited the Red Lion in 2013 and enjoyed our food and drink and we look forward to seeing you all in 2014!!

If you check our events page you will see all the music dates and big events as well as Bank holiday dates for 2014 so here’s to a mild winter and another great summer in 2014!!

See you soon..

Actress Jennifer Ellison and her husband were rescued by lifeboat crews when their boat’s engine failed while they were sea fishing off Anglesey.

The former Brookside star and husband Robbie Tickle were towed ashore by the RNLI in their inflatable at 11.30 BST.

Ms Ellison said on social networking site Twitter: “Just been sea fishing with my hubby!! Needed to be rescued!!! Terrifying! Thanks so much RNLI!”

The 16ft (5m) boat had begun drifting towards Moelfre island when a lifeboat was launched, the RNLI said.

Mr Barclay said: “At the time of the rescue we didn’t realise it was Jennifer on board, but after all the interest it has generated I wanted to thank her for helping to raise awareness of the work of the RNLI charity and for showing her gratitude to the crew.

“They had the misfortune of suffering engine failure whilst out sea fishing but were towed back in without any complications.”

Ms Ellison, of Liverpool, is best known for her roles in Channel 4 soap Brookside and film Phantom of the Opera.

Brian claims he was at work and this is his doppelganger!!

The first signed photograph from the Weymouth Lifeboat Crew was framed and hung from the rum barrel wall in the pub.

Each year a photo will be signed by the crew, framed and hung in the Red Lion to commemorate the ‘Red Lion Life Boat Day’ which is held every November in honour of the brave crew and the pubs attachment to the Weymouth Lifeboat historically!!

It is a tradition to present the money raised over the year by the sales of our very own lifeboat bitter!!

So if you want to help the RNLI buy a pint when you are in and have a look at the many pictures around the pub.

The new Red Lion menu is ready to preview below featuring some new dishes such as Duck Liver Paté with granary toast and cornichons, Baked Camenbert with crusty bread and special ale chutney and a Pint or Half a Pint of Large Juicy Prawns (half pint £6.00 pint £12.00) served with brown bread and spicy cocktail sauce and then there are two new veggie main dishes ……….Blue Vinney Homity Pie with coastal cheddar crust served with dressed salad and chips and our tasty Vegetarian Burger served in our special recipe bun with our famous chutney, homemade coleslaw and chips.

Then by popular request…. Proper ‘Surf and Turf ’ featuring our 10oz 21 day aged Ribeye Steak with breaded wholetail scampi, chips and salad. A new salad too… Fresh Crab and Lemon Dressed Mixed Leaf Salad

On the pudding front the Red Lion Mess has got all ‘summerlike’ with Meringue, fresh whipped cream fresh strawberries and raspberries and we have introduced some ‘liquid puddings’……

• Jamaican Coffee with Goslings Black Seal rum, freshly ground coffee and fresh cream
• Orange Creole Coffee with Orange rum, freshly ground coffee and fresh cream
• Wiese & Krohn Uniquely Chilled Rosé Port (ideal with our cheese board)
• Chocolate Orange Martini made with Orange Rum, Dark Creme de Cacao, fresh cream shaken over ice… a classic!!

There are some new wines too Tierra Alta Merlot, Chile. Perfect with our Steak and Ale Pie, Baroncini 1489 Chianti Riserva, Italy “The Baroncini family have grown grapes at their historic estate in Tuscany since 1489” or Tabali Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile “Deep blackcurrant flavours great with the Ribeye”. On the Fizz front Champagne Gremillet Brut NV, France has been ‘shipped in’ for the summer.

On white wines we introduce Bellefontaine Sauvignon Blanc, France a rich citrus character on the palate is livened up by zesty finish then the wonderful K-Naia, Verdejo, Spain, this wine was chosen as the best white in its class by our customers at our recent tasting!! Finally we now have a Sancerre La Clochette, France “The best Sauvignon Blanc in the house!!”

On the rose wines we introduce two new wines Mirabello Pinot Grigio Rosé, Italy and a popular White Zinfandel Rose, California “a Light ‘Picnic’ wine for the sweeter palate”

We have also introduced a premium cider list as an alternative to wine

PREMIUM ENGLISH CIDERS TO SHARE
Our Premium Ciders are served in an ice bucket with two glasses as a refreshing alternative to wine.

• Aspalls Draught Suffolk Cider 5.5% £4.95

This is a mid-straw coloured cider with a floral and apple aroma and more medium dry in taste (ideal with our Haddock Smokey)

• Aspalls Premier Cru 7.0% £5.95

Straw gold in colour with a clean, light aroma of dessert apples, drier in taste (ideal with our Cheese Board)

• Aspalls Perronelles Blush 5.4% £5.95

This blush cider has a subtle blackberry aroma with a hint of traditional cyder apple and is sweeter on the palate (perfect with our Fresh Seafood Plate)

• Thatchers Katy 7.4% £5.95

Light, medium dry and fragrant with a soft sparkle, (great with our ‘Old Winchester’ Chicken)

• Thatchers Green Goblin 6.0% £4.95

Made with English apples, and matured in oak vats, Green Goblin cider is a full-flavoured, bittersweet blend, beautifully balanced to give a fresh character with a medium dry finish (ideal with the Warm Seafood Plate)

• Westons Wyld Wood Organic 6.5% £4.25

The only Organic Cider we do! Earthy, with a good apple taste, (great with a steak or our burger)

To view the full menu click here

Happy New Year!!! Well it would appear everyone had a great time here at the Red Lion as the picture suggests!!

On behalf of landlord Brian, Our Deputies Kendra and Phil, Head Chef Brett and the entire team at the Red Lion plus of course Tim and Mary we wish every one of our customers a very happy and prosperous new year. We also wish to thank everyone for supporting the Red Lion through its first festive season since its restoration and indeed supporting us for the whole year!!!

Here’s to 2013!!! Let’s hope it is drier!!!