Pig 'n Whistle pub, Southampton reopens under new ownership

The Pig 'n Whistle pub at 108 Shirley Road opened its doors to the public once more on December 17, two weeks after Ewelina Fesnak, 26, took over the reins.

Ewelina, originally from Poland, moved to the UK in 2015 and worked at Hillier Garden Centre before moving into the world of hospitality, working as a barmaid and manager, with the aim of one day running her own pub.

Now, nearly seven years on, Ewelina said "dreams do come true."

Ewelina Fesnak (left) with the Mayor of Southampton Cllr Alex Houghton at the reopening of the Pig 'n Whistle pub in Southampton

She said: "This is my dream, to open my own pub. One of my customers at my previous job said to me that the Pig N Whistle was up for sale and he came with me to the pub to meet the landlord and owner.

"Lots of people were interested in the pub, and my old boss wanted to buy it as well.

"I thought to myself, 'why should I run a pub for everyone else when I can do it myself?' Dreams do come true."

The pub serves English and Polish food, but Ewelina is keen for people to know that it is not a Polish pub.

Ewelina Fesnak (left) with the Mayor of Southampton Cllr Alex Houghton at the reopening of the Pig 'n Whistle pub in Southampton

She said: "People think it's a Polish pub, but it's an English pub with an English name and beer, that serves Polish and English food.

"Everyone is welcome, it's not a Polish pub. It is an English pub run by a Polish person.

"I'm trying to make a clear image that everyone is welcome. No one needs to feel left out, especially during this very lonely time due to the coronavirus.

"This is only our second week and so far, it's good and we have had lots of bookings and the pub is packed. There are really nice people coming here and my old customers have come to see me too."

The Pig 'n Whistle is open seven days a week, serving a mixture of Polish and English food every Friday to Sunday, which includes a Sunday Roast.