There are currently five Co-operative Pubs in the UK and a short case study of each is given below.
The Old Crown in Hesket Newmarket, Cumbria
Key Facts:
• The original co-operative pub
• Opened in 2003
• 125 members
• Local brewery connection
The Old Crown is the original co-operative pub. Hesket Newmarket is a small community inside the northern edge of the Lake District National Park. It is the only pub in the village. The story of the Old Crown dates back to 1987 when new landlords Jim and Liz Fearnley purchased the pub with the dream of running a pub which served curries and brewing their own beer. They bought the pub and the barn at the rear and turned the barn into Hesket Newmarket brewery. Jim and Liz ran both the pub and the brewery until 1995 when they decided to sell the pub and concentrate on the award-winning brewery. They ran the brewery until 1999 when they decided they wanted to retire. Villagers were worried that the brewery might be swallowed up by a larger brewer or closed, so to stop that happening 58 villagers and supporters got together and formed a co-operative to buy the brewery; today Hesket Newmarket Brewery is a thriving microbrewery.
In 2002 a shareholder in the brewery floated the idea of forming a second co-operative to buy the pub and to secure it for the village and wider community. 125 customers of the pub eventually clubbed together to buy the pub. The co-operative was officially registered in March 2003 and the purchase was completed on 21 August that year. The co-operative does not run the pub on a day to day basis; it recruits tenants to run it. The Old Crown continues to be a warm, cosy, friendly pub selling good food and great beer brewed at Hesket Newmarket Brewery behind the pub.
Julian Ross, who led the bid by customers to take ownership of the pub, says: “People say they don’t care about making a return on their investment. They want to preserve something that is important for the community. This is a cosy, friendly pub, which you can go into whether you’re wearing your wellies, walking boots, or a suit, and you won’t come out without speaking to someone.”
Find out more about the Old Crown - http://www.theoldcrownpub.co.uk/
Find out more about Hesket Newmarket Brewery - http://www.hesketbrewery.co.uk/
The Pengwern Arms in Llan Ffestiniog, Gwynedd
Key facts:
• The first co-operative pub in Wales
There has been a pub on the site of the Pengwern in the centre of Llan Ffestiniog for nearly 300 years. It was originally called Yr Efail (The Smithy) but was changed to The Pengwern Arms Hotel during the nineteenth century. The local community set up a co-operative, Pengwern Cymunedol, to purchase and run the hotel as a free house and to once again make the Pengwern a popular venue for visitors as well as for locals.
A public meeting was held in spring 2009 just before the Pengwern Arms Hotel closed. Over 50 members of the community attended, all of whom were very keen to try and re-open the hotel. By the end of December 2009 there were almost 300 members of ‘Friends of the Pengwern’ and their Facebook site has well over 300 supporters. In December 2009 the vendors accepted Pengwern Cymunedol’s offer of £185,000 to buy the hotel. The deposit was paid and the community signed a short term lease in order to give them sufficient time to raise the rest of the money required.
Their vision is to buy and re-open the Pengwern and to develop it as a democratically run community venture. They hope to run it as an environmental, economic, social, educational and cultural asset for the benefit of the community and to provide local work opportunities with resources to support entrepreneurship, training and education. There are plans to improve the building overall, specifically to refurbish the bar, upgrade the restaurant and kitchen, provide disabled access, offer high quality guest accommodation and part of the building will also be converted into quality self-catering eco-accommodation. The Pengwern is being run on a voluntary basis in the short term with the aim of recruiting paid staff in the future. Eventually they will recruit a Manager, Assistant Manager and Chef as the business develops.
Find out more about the Pengwern Arms - http://www.pengwerncymunedol.btik.com/
Pengwern Arms Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63785886947&v=wall
The Star Inn, Salford
Key facts
• Opened in December 2009
• First urban co-operative pub
• 67 members
• Local micro brewery being collocated
The Star Inn was purchased at auction for £80,000, by a community co-operative made up of around 50 members in October 2009 when the pub came up for sale, The following month, the pub was refurbished with the help of many volunteers and on 19th December, The Star Inn was reopened as the UK’s first urban Co-operative Pub. In July 2010, the co-operative hired its first employee - Vicki Hughes - to be the manager of the pub. More recently, a local micro brewery has also moved into a building at the back of The Star Inn and they will continue to brew Star Ale and other special ales like Star Bright for the pub.
To find out more about The Star Inn - http://www.staronthecliff.co.uk/
The George and Dragon in Hudswell, Yorkshire
Key facts
• Opened in June 2010
• Raised £224,000 in community share capital
• 152 members
Hudswell is a small rural community of around 250 people in North Yorkshire. It is around 5 minutes from the historic town of Richmond and it is the first Co-operative Pub in Yorkshire. The George and Dragon closed in August 2008 and was a big blow to the local community - many local businesses, such as a local holiday chalet business, relied on the pub to attract tourists. By June 2009, the pub still remained empty and unsold, however, at this point, the villagers came together to save it and made an offer to the owners to buy it. The group formed a co-operative and 152 members, one of which is William Hague MP, raised £224,000 from a community share issue to purchase the premises.
The purchase was completed in February 2010 and The George and Dragon was opened on 12 June 2010 by local MP and Foreign Secretary Rt Hon William Hague MP. The community, like the Old Crown, has appointed a tenant to run the pub business but they are also required to ensure that the pub is used for community events, celebrations and cultural and social activities. In December 2010 they opened a small shop within the pub and they have also got a number of allotments for community use. They are also hoping to add Bed and Breakfast accommodation to the pub.
Find out more about the George and Dragon - http://www.georgeanddragonhudswell.com/
The Fox and Hounds in Ennerdale, Cumbria
Key facts
• Opened in April 2011
• 146 members
The Fox and Hounds Inn in Ennerdale Bridge, Cumbria, became the fifth pub in the UK to be owned and run by the whole community. After being threatened with losing the pub – a vital hub of the rural village – the community pulled together to raise the remarkable total of £77,600 in just ten days.
“There were those who thought that the community would never meet such a big target of £67,000 within the 10-day deadline that was set,” said project manager Peter Maher. “Instead the fundraising raced away and we met the target with two days to go.
“I must say that I was surprised to see the money still come rolling in, and now we are £10,600 above our original target.”
Mr Maher added that it is not too late for people to join the 146 who have already invested and get involved by buying shares.
Muir Lachlan, chair of Ennerdale and Kinniside Parish Council, said: “I was delighted with the response of the community; people have responded magnificently. It just goes to show that, even in these difficult financial times, people place a premium on local services and facilities and are prepared to invest time and money to bring them back.”
Mr Maher added: “We intend to offer an experience that will encourage people to come back time and time again. Ennerdale is such a lovely valley and Ennerdale Bridge is a delightful and picturesque village that we want to leave a lasting impression on those who come here.”
For more information visit http://www.plunkett.co.uk/newsandmedia/news-item.cfm/newsid/504