The licensees of a Beeston pub will be saying farewell later this month because they can't make it pay. Michael Gratton and Ronnie Guest, of One Union, took over the Malt Shovel in June 2021 and, after giving it a stylish revamp, had high hopes for the pub which had previously been closed for four months.
They had been hoping to turn the traditional 'old man's pub' into a more thriving business with a mix of regulars and new younger drinkers. Plans for kitchen improvements and an extension fell through thought because they claimed the brewery wouldn't invest. They will quit the pub, in Union Street, on October 24 to focus on four others they run in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Mr Guest said: "It's losing money every single week. Obviously with the current situation with energy bills we need to focus on businesses that are doing well. The Malt Shovel was a failing business when we took it over and we thought it would skip to action quicker than it has. I am pretty patient but at the moment it is losing money every single week.
