Closed
Although I don't believe the situation's as dire as some would have us believe, there's no doubt that weaker pub businesses are going to the wall. I've had a look around this manor and spotted a few closures.
There's a mid-twentieth century pub on Bowling Green Lane that's had various names over the years. Successive operators have failed to make it work. It's even been a titty bar. Interestingly, it's been a Brakspear pub for many years (which means the freehold's now owned by Marstons). It's latest incarnation - The Bowler - closed down a few weeks ago. A notice on the window claimed this was due to "staff holidays", and promised a return in September, but it hasn't worked out. I feel sorry for the licensee, who tried hard to make the place work.
- I'm told The Bear on St John Square is no longer trading. This somewhat unappealing bar on the ground floor of an unlovely office block benefited from outside space, but little else. It's no great loss to the area. I think they had a solitary beer engine in there, but I don't think it was in use. The Priory - on the other side of the square - does the same job, only better.
- The Queen Boadicea on St John Street was a pub without real ale (very rare in these parts). The premises previously housed The Bull, a music bar popular with students from City University across the road. It's been closed for a while now and nothing seems to be happening. The building retains ceramic tilework and Watney's livery, while inside their are two drinking areas separated by an original partition wall. Ultimately, however, the location lets it down and it'll never be able to compete with The Peasant just a couple of hundred yards away.
The photo is of The Bowler, one of the closed pubs. It's from Ewan M's Flickr photostream. Ewan writes the excellent Pubology blog.
15 comments:
Fair enough. What is sad, is pubs closing in good locations with centuries of tradition - check out http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/1844126.kings_head_to_close/.
It's actually very simple.
Good pubs will survive, shit ones go to the wall.
The only difference now is that with less money around the shit ones can no longer get by with poor service and crap beer.
No one cares about bad shops or restaurants closing so why should we care about bad pubs shutting down.
If it improves the general overall quality then thee cheers.
Location helps, of course.
Sladescross - how is it sad that a mitchells and butler pub is closing ?
Good post, I know what you mean, there is a pub in the old brewing town of Tiverton that keeps having new landlords and it keeps failing. I wonder why they don’t call it a day and turn it into low rent housing.
Showbizguru is right. you have searched on the closed one. have you ever searched the pubs that are going very good. pubs that have poor service and environment will be closed. it is like the cigar companies. many countries claim that they have nice cigar collection but have you ever heard that all cuban cigars companies are about to close!!!
Interesting about The Bowler and the Queen B. When the Bowler first opened a few years back, I had an EXCELLENT dinner there. I was later sad to hear that they weren't doing dinner anymore.
Re: the Queen B, just thinking from a corporate perspective, my company liked it because you could easily rent out either the back room or the front room. We did this on a number of occasions. That being said, we called them because I knew they'd be convenient to the city. I do really like their tilework, so hopefully a savvy-minded person will take over.
The great thing about Austin Walter is that although he is spamming he is trying to shift cigars rather than Viagra, replica watches or Nigerian Government bonds.
And since Jeffrey's blog wisely tags the link as rel='nofollow', Austin doesn't even get any googlejuice from the link.
Good stuff, Jeff -- case studies! When I've seen those kinds of pubs succeed, it's been where someone has taken them over and *really* overhauled them, rather than just redecorating. As in, looking at the fundamental reasons for the pubs failure and changing them if possible. So, for example, what was one of our local murderers pubs is now the most popular pub in the area, but they only achieved that by closing for six months to give the murderers time to find another pub to drink in, and gutting the entire building. It must have cost them a fortune, but the investment was worth it, as they've been running merrily for seven years now.
Bailey, you're right. The problem is that a substantial capital investment takes a terrifyingly long time to recoup, particularly if you're also having to pay finance charges on top of that.
The Exmouth Arms is the only truly rough pub in this area. That's said because it's a great location - slap bang in the middle of Exmouth Market with it's great stalls and restaurants. When the current operator throws in the towel (it's a company with a few pubs), whoever takes the lease is going to have to close down for a lengthy period to shake off the reputation and undesirable customers.
Alex, you asked "how is it sad that a Mitchells and Butlers pub is closing?"
Managed pubs can be very special. The White Horse in Parson's Green - which was the beer geek's wet dream until the Rake opened - is an M&B managed house. That bloke Mark Dorber who used to run it was an employee on a salary, not the landlord, yet he certainly stamped his personality on the place.
It's not one of my favourite places, but to be fair that's probably because its such a ball ache to get too and I'm normally in a bad mood after enduring a long, slow haul on the District Line.
I'd occasionally considered nipping into the Bowler for a quick pint on my way back from the archives (not more than 50 yards away). Doesn't look like I'll get the chance now.
You'd have been lucky to have got a pint of ale in there - and if you did it would have been Brakspear Bitter, which ticks precisely none of your personal beery boxes.
Jeff, just being a bit nerdy, but the Brakspear pub chain of Henley is still an independent company. Marston's simply owns the rights to brew the beer brands (which technically still belong to Brakspear!)
Brakspear Bitter happens to be a personal favourite of mine.
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