CLASSIC ROCK, & ROLL-BACK DRINK PRICES AT
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE OLDE SHIP, SANTA ANA
Ten years ago on July 17th, the Olde Ship British Pub and Restaurant set anchor at a second berth in Orange County at 1120 W. 17th Street in Santa Ana. The Olde Ship Santa Ana and its sister berth on Harbor Blvd, in Fullerton have both become a much loved gathering place for locals as well as British expatriates and their guests. Simon Collier the Olde Ships’ ‘Captain’ took over the helm when his father Doug Collier, the founder, passed away on April 30th 1996, the date of the 14th anniversary of the Fullerton berth’s opening.
According to Collier, locals also known in British pub speak as ‘regulars’ and visitors are invited to join the captain and crew to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Santa Ana location on Saturday July 17th when they will enjoy roll-back prices on drinks, raffles throughout the evening and starting at 8:30 p.m. music by the classic rock band “Southbound”.
Collier notes that a British pub is very different from an American bar…”it’s a state of mind and that alone sets it apart from any other eating and drinking establishment. It is a place where relaxation, stimulation and conversation are the order of the day.” Explains Collier “In the "local", as we British refer to our local pub, a sense of being "at home" is very much in evidence and it’s the publican's job to ensure the preservation of that atmosphere, in fact all the Olde Ship staff really take the expression ‘You’ll be a stranger here but once’ to heart.”
The predominantly British wait staff plays a strong role in the personality and charm of the place and is just one reason why regulars return time and again. The twenty varieties of beers on tap, twenty plus single malts along with the traditional British food menu that includes favorites such as Prime Rib and Yorkshire Pudding, fish and chips and British desserts such as ‘Sticky-Toffee Pudding’ and ‘Spotted Dick’ are also a big attraction.
While the pub is a great place to relax and mellow – especially with Friday Night Jazz, it also boasts some very spirited entertainment, especially on pub quiz nights held at 7:30 p.m. the first Monday of the month at the Santa Ana location, and second Monday of the month in Fullerton. Events such as World Cup Soccer and the British Premier League fill the pub with enthusiastic soccer supporters who love the pubs’ atmosphere and the traditional British breakfast and hearty pub lunch fare. The pub hosts a variety of events such as vintage British car and bike shows with proceeds donated to the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, (http://www.rnli.org.uk) a favorite charity of founder Doug Collier and a tradition that son Simon continues in his name. The Olde Ship also has strong ties to the British American Business Council (www.babcoc.org) and plays host to many of the organizations’ ‘Business After Hours’ mixers as well as supporting many of the BABC’s events and activities especially ‘BritWeek’ a celebration of all things British and traditionally held annually in April.
“2010 is a banner year for us” noted Collier, “We celebrated the 17th anniversary of our Fullerton location in April and are excited to be celebrating our 10th Anniversary in Santa Ana. We are looking forward to a fun celebration on July 17th and hope that many of our regulars as well as some first-time visitors will help us celebrate and find out why they’ll be a stranger here but once!”
Written by Deb Shrider, Principal of ‘Put It In Writing’
For the Olde Ship Pub & Restaurant
July 8, 2010 |