It seems the Blue Ridge Brewery has changed hands again, about ten months after it was sold by Patrick Walker, the person who developed it, to Gene Holcombe, the owner of the Blue Ridge Bed & Breakfast. It has apparently been acquired by the Black Sheep Group.
This will probably not come as a great surprise to those of us who experienced the change personally or who have read some of the recent online reviews. Patrick was always going to be a difficult act to follow, but an awful lot of folks were upset with the new management and the changes they introduced. It will be interesting to see what the new owners make of it. It’s a very nice space, and it should prosper under the right management. Apparently, they will be serving a limited menu until May 1st, in order to make some changes.
Fun fact: The building with the main dining room, kitchen, and part of the bar was for a long time the law office of Doss & Doss (1986-1999).
I don’t have time this morning to elaborate, but I got a good report on the wildflowers yesterday evening. Some of the early ones, like Dutchman’s Breeches and Trout Lily, were seen along with some of the later ones, like the trilliums. What really surprised me was that the Showy Orchis was also present, which I think of as later still. And there’s a Lady Slipper in bloom in our yard. With the late spring, things seem to be accelerated, and happening all at once. When the leaves are fully on the trees, the show is over, and they’re coming pretty fast. If you want to get a good look, it sounds like now is the time.