Lincolnshire is looking for a researcher to document the history of its public houses.
BY MIKE POMRANZ APRIL 27, 2021
A historic public house – Ye Olde White Horse - in Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK, a market town in the Lincolnshire fens. The building, at the junction of Church Street and Church Gate, dates from 1553 and is one of the oldest buildings in Spalding. | CREDIT: MARK WILLIAMSON/GETTY IMAGES
Brits can take their watering holes very seriously. I was once scolded for asking how long a "pub crawl" would be. "This is a heritage walk!" our guide scoffed as he ushered us into our third pub for what was probably my fifth pint. He wasn't joking: Entire groups are dedicated to documenting and maintaining the history of British pubs—the kind of thing that happens when many of these establishments predate the entire history of America. And these positions can be very serious, including one currently hiring that pays up to $40,000 for the year.
The Lincolnshire County Council has recently posted a job listing for a Heritage Project Officer. (If you're noticing a pattern in how Brits use the term "heritage," you're not entirely wrong.) The ideal candidate will be "enthusiastic and creative"—which shouldn't be too hard seeing as the one-year gig will require "researching and recording the architectural and social history of public houses along a 50 mile stretch of the Lincolnshire Coast from Grimsby to Boston." (Lincolnshire is about three hours north of London along England's eastern coast.)
The council says this new "Inns on the Edge" project is "urgently needed to enhance the local historic environment records, raise awareness in response to the threat of pub closures, and help the hospitality sector recover from the pandemic," and it's actually being funded by the U.K. government through Historic England.
The council says this new "Inns on the Edge" project is "urgently needed to enhance the local historic environment records, raise awareness in response to the threat of pub closures, and help the hospitality sector recover from the pandemic," and it's actually being funded by the U.K. government through Historic England.
By now, you're probably realizing the job is far from 52 weeks of drinking. In fact, the words "beer," "ale," "pint," and "drink" are all missing from the posting. (And "lager" is definitely not included!) But the English are nothing if not reserved, meaning the description is laced with plenty of subtle signs. Among other abilities, the Project Officer must be able to "promote and celebrate" these pubs and be "a confident communicator able to inspire and enthuse different types of audiences, including people who might not traditionally engage with heritage." Candidates must also have "a good understanding of the social and economic role of public houses." Good luck trying to get that in a library… unless it's "The Library" (which, according to Pubs Galore, is the name of about a half-dozen British pubs).
The job offers "a competitive salary of £25,991 to £28,672 [about $36,000 to $40,000], along with a pension, a comprehensive benefits package including excellent discount schemes, cycle to work, civil service sports council membership and many areas for professional support and development." Applications are being accepted until May 3.
Also noted in the listing, this job is "a pilot project […] with the intention of informing future projects in other parts of the county and elsewhere in England." So whoever gets this gig, don't screw it up. A lot of people in the "heritage" industry are counting on you!
This story originally appeared on FoodandWine.com.
Comments