José De Sousa Andrade, landlord at the Old Malt Shovel, Northgate, Newark has called it a day and sold the pub to new owners. The pub has now become part of the Smiling Pub Co.

Special mention should be made of ex-licensee, Joe, who has run this excellent hostelry for the last fourteen years making well-deserved, continual appearances in the Good Beer Guide. The Old Malt Shovel was also awarded Newark CAMRA’s ‘Pub of the Season’ certificate for Summer 1998.

He also ran a club called ‘RATS’ - the Real Ale Tasting Society which had regular meetings where members could win free beer by guessing the night’s mystery beer. He also bore more than a passing resemblance to a younger Cliff Richard!

So, Joe recently disappeared into the ‘shadows’, perhaps to enjoy a well-earned ‘summer holiday’. We don’t know his plans, but maybe ‘the next time’ he will open another pub ‘in the country’

Newark CAMRA wish him well for the future.

Nov. '00

The real Joe..

And an imposter..