A new chapter is set to begin for The Red Lion Jewellery Quarter as Joule’s Brewery, the independent Shropshire brewer, announces the reopening of the much-loved historic pub following a £500,000 heritage-led development designed to restore, evolve and reanimate one of Birmingham’s most characterful pubs.
Located in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter, the reopening brings together thoughtful restoration, distinctive hospitality and a new offer rooted in beer, food and community.
The pub will be operated by experienced Joule’s licensees George Holding and Tori Beardmore, who arrive in Birmingham following their successful stewardship of The White Horse and the historic Henry Tudor House in Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire. Together, those experiences offer a rare balance of neighbourhood pub warmth and heritage-led hospitality, providing a fitting foundation for the Red Lion’s next chapter.
Founded in 1779 and now brewing in Market Drayton, Shropshire, Joule’s has built a reputation for breathing new life into historic pubs through careful restoration, traditional craftsmanship and long-term investment. The Red Lion continues that approach, bringing a distinctly Shropshire pub philosophy into one of Birmingham’s most historic districts.
The investment also reflects a contrast increasingly rare in the pub industry. Whilst many city centre pubs are operated by large national groups, the Red Lion is being restored by a small independent Shropshire brewery. From its home in Market Drayton, Joule’s has built a reputation for restoring historic pubs across the region, combining traditional brewing with long-term investment in buildings, communities and the people who run them.
As with all Joule’s developments, the approach has been patient and considered.
Rather than rushing change, the brewery has taken time to understand both the building and the surrounding area before shaping plans that celebrate the Red Lion’s Victorian character whilst creating a pub designed for modern hospitality.
The redevelopment will reveal a warm parlour-style pub rich in detail, with decorative tiling, stained glass, reclaimed timber, intimate snug spaces and atmospheric bars. The Saloon Bar and Smoke Room will each offer their own character, alongside a private Club Room, a rooftop terrace and a reimagined Beer Courtyard, creating a pub suited equally to quiet afternoons and lively evenings.
A distinctive feature of the development will be a bespoke Green Monkey Beer Shed, designed alongside Joule’s steel fabricators to reflect the industrial craftsmanship synonymous with the Jewellery Quarter whilst serving brewery-fresh lager directly into the courtyard.
At the heart of the outdoor space, and what Joule’s hopes will become one of the Jewellery Quarter’s hidden gems, sits Quarter Slice, a bespoke pizza concept serving a minimum of four pizza flavours daily into the Beer Courtyard. Each pizza has been designed around pairings with Joule’s Shropshire beers and wines from Château Bessan, the brewery’s Bordeaux vineyard.
The reopened pub will bring together Joule’s cask ales, seasonal and craft cold beers, Château Bessan wines and a food offer centred around Quarter Slice, all within a setting designed for long afternoons, relaxed gatherings and memorable evenings.
