The landlord of a historic Manchester pub and music venue has said that without the "dedication" of Morrissey fans it would have to close due to a "unexpected" tax bill from grants he received during the pandemic.
Andy Martin, the landlord of The Star and Garter on Fairfield Street, is currently repaying a tax bill of £26,000 for grants totalling £90,000, which the pub received from Arts Council England (ACE) between between 2020 and 2021. He is also grappling with "huge" monthly overheads due to rising energy costs.
He described the pub as facing a "knife-edge fight" to survive, but that events such as Mozarmy - an annual meeting of Morrissey and Smiths fans - is helping keep the pub afloat. The pub and music venue also regularly hosts Smiths and Morrissey Disco Nights and open up the space for TV filming for shows such as Brassic to cover its costs.
