Blue Ox Pub /Vernon Matters Photo

By Kevin Rothwell

Hospitality veterans take over

New ownership for Lumby’s Blue Ox Pub

Dec 2, 2022 | 6:00 AM

The Village of Lumby’s only pub has changed hands, and some familiar faces from the Vernon hospitality scene are at the reins.

James Minshull, Renea Mulowany along with Century 21 realtor Woody Kuraoka purchased the Blue Ox in late September for an undisclosed price.

Minshull’s grandparents owned Dimitri’s Greek Restaurant, where the Sir Winston’s Cold Beer and Wine Store is today. The restaurant and pub were sold and managed by Minshull for two-years before he purchased it and operated it for another 23 years. Mulowany worked at Sir Winston’s for 27 years.

Renea Mulowany and James Minshull / Vernon Matters Photo

Following the sale of Sir Winston’s, the pair worked at other jobs, but were looking to get back into the pub business, when the Lumby opportunity presented itself to the Lavington couple.

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“This was the only place that we actually really considered. One of the biggest reasons was because of the people here” Minshull explained. “They are just friendly, warm and embraced us like we couldn’t even imagine, we are busier than we ever hoped to be.

Owner James Minshull chats with patrons / Vernon Matters Photo

Year over year business is up a whopping 180 per cent, with a few strategic changes.

“We had all these ideas we were going to implement. We will definitely look at a menu change down the road. We have added some features so they can get an idea of what we are all about, our flavour profiles and so on,” Minshull stated.

The pub’s first steak and lobster night was a huge hit with locals.

“You can tell its quality food, a handmade patty, hand-cut fries and gravy from scratch,” Patron and red-seal chef Peter Chrikoff remarked of his Blue Ox Burger lunch.

The pub does plan on having events and live music.

“We took out the stage which may have shocked some people, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have live entertainment, we just didn’t think they needed to be a foot off the ground,” Minshull said. “It just opens up the space. We are going to put a pool table there on the pub side, and we can do some larger banquets in the back room.

The community has already come calling for catering as well, as the Lumby and District Chamber of Commerce banquet was recently catered by the Blue Ox.

The next big event for the pub will be the Annual Big Buck contest on January 21.

For more information on the Blue Ox visit https://www.facebook.com/blueoxlumby/.