Britain's oldest pub has been saved by former staff after its shock closure - and they have snubbed PETA's calls for an animal-friendly name change and all-vegan menu. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, which dates back to 793AD and once hosted Oliver Cromwell, shut down in February due to the "devastating" impact of the Covid pandemic.
Now its ex-manager and head chef have teamed up to rescue the beloved boozer - while dismissing pleas from animal lovers for a "21st-century revamp". PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - appealed last month for a new landlord to rename the pub Ye Olde Clever Cocks, The Cheery Chooks or The Happy Hens.
Activists had complained the pub's current name "calls to mind the violence and cruelty of a hideous blood sport that has been outlawed in the UK for more than a century". PETA campaigners also demanded the pub, which served classic British grub, adopt a fully plant-based menu.
