Lost Melton Mowbray Pubs - The Mash Tub

The property, at 58 Nottingham Street, found a new lease of life as the Spice Club Indian restaurant before it closed in December 2022 and now as the Gurkha Express, serving traditional Nepalese and Indian cuisine.

It was a pub throughout the 20th century and continued to be a busy town centre hostelry after the turn of the century.

Regulars have been sharing their memories of the Mash Tub on the Melton Times Facebook page.

Denise Jenkins posted that it was the: “Last place one would go before the fish and chip shop on a good pub crawl.”

Darren Woodcock commented: “This pub was always the start of our Friday/Saturday night pub crawls. Around 7pm in the late 80’s early 90’s.”

And Karen Bradshaw wrote: “Always used to start and finish the pup crawl round Melton here, then on to Roadhouse.”

Lesley Parker has a special reason to recall her visits to the pub: “My husband Mick used to be in the darts team. And he proposed to me there.”

Memories go back half-a-century for some readers, such as Janet Williams, who posted: “I remember when Nellie and George had the pub in the 70's, I worked there in the early 90's when Martin and Pauline had it. Had some brilliant times.”

A former landlord, Julian Gale, wrote: “I had by far the best time of my life running The Mash Tub from 2001 to 2008. Made many many great friends and memories.”

Pub sports darts and pool thrived at the Mash Tub.

Alun Davies posted: “Spent many hours in there playing darts.....everyone used to meet in there on a Monday night before a league match.”

Cheryl LeCoyte recalled: “My mum and dad, Tina and Keith Goodacre ran it before it became the Spice Club.”

And Ria Templeton posted: “I remember working there and drinking Squashed Frogs on a night out, used to be a great pub.”

Phill Dillon recalled: “Still happily married to one of the barmaids and she was also a Saturday girl in Woolworths, good times.”