Threatened pub

its alright complaining that these are closing but if there are not making money because you and I cannot afford to have 5 pints and drive home and still keep our licences, they are not charity shops would you run a business for next to nothing or sell the land for 2 million or whatever I know what I would do and its no use using the excuse its traditional as a reason, Pit ponies and boy chimney sweeps were traditional it did not make them ok, Kevin

We recently made the Chequers at Barkestone le Vale our 2006 POTY. It is a tiny pub hidden away in a tiny village of say 300 inhabitants.It has no car park and has no kitchen so it basically serves no food(although there are barbecues in the summer) Yet the pub thrives thanks to the imagination,hard work and personalities behind the bar. The present POTY is the Marquis of Granby at Granby.This is the smaller of two pubs in a village of 290. Four years ago it was struggling to sell 2 firkins a week. In 2003 it came within a whisker of being the CAMRA national POTY ; it sells on average 1.5 new ales a day and has already sold nearly 1500 different brews; there are 7 handpumps for beer and one for cider.Again,it is the enthusiasm,graft and personatities of the landlord and landlady which brought this about. This indicates to me that given the right people very few pubs really need to close.

Anyone care to translate the above?

"I've just sunk eight pints of Fosters and kebab"

John B

John B15/11/05 10:47 PM

That should help.

CR

Local Pubs, Shops, Post Offices etc, close because local people don't use them... They just whinge when they aren't there anymore.

"Nigel" wrote

Not entirely true, a lot of local pubs close down because they are worth more as houses and in some cases are deliberately run down in a cynical attempt to get Change of Use.

In the right hands any rural business has a chance, but once its gone its gone.

Rob

In this area we have a "loss of amenities" clause . Anyone wishing to convert a pub has to prove that it cannot be profitable.Some years ago a landlord deliberately ran down the Red Lion in Stathern.Permission to alter use was refused because although it was running at a loss it could have been profitable.The landlord had to sell at the bottom of the market and the pub is now the AA Pub of the Year! We have rather a lot of good pubs round here :-)

AKA most if not all successful businesses. Pubs are no different.

And sometimes people don't use them because they are badly run.

In this case the OP was doing something before things got that far.

the pub is now the AA Pub of the Year! We have rather a

would that be the Automobile Association or Alcoholics Anonymous.. either way I'm a bit surprised they promote pubs :-)

and the resaon they are woth more as houses than businesses is because not enough people use them.

you only have to drive round Friday night and see how packed these real ale rural pubs are some even have cars outside??

And there you have the nub of the problem. In my village (something like

1200+ inhabitants) we are well-served, with 4 pubs and a licenced club. 3 of the pubs cater for and derive a lot of their income from summer holiday trade. The other premises are more for locals.

The 'locals' pub had been built up by the previous landlord - it was a true freehouse - who used to feature many microbreweries, and had a passion for keeping his beers as close to perfect as possible. He had two beer festivals each year, and a loyal and steady group of customers.

He sold the place on with a really good business formula, but the atmosphere changed almost immediately.

I don't think the place has been run down deliberately - it's taken 3+ years, but custom has dropped quite dramatically, mainly because the present owners just weren't suited to the trade.

Now the planning application is in for conversion to a total of 7 flats.

It takes years to build a good reputation, but it can be lost almost overnight!