The landlord of an iconic old-school West End pub, famed for hosting football legends, says he has been "forced out" after three decades in the job.
Steve Burns has spent half of his life as the tenant of the Black Bull on Barrack Road - catering to crowds of Magpie fans and a "great bunch of locals".
He said he was informed by the owner of the building, Trust Inns, via e-mail that he had 10 days to exit the premises in November 2021 otherwise he would be chased for dilapidation cost.
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The 60-year-old from Benwell admits that the whole pub was in "need of investment" but said it was in a "much better condition" than when he took the pub on in 1991 and that he had tried multiple times to negotiate a transformation of the site.
Steve said he had approached his business develop manager at Trust Inns on several occasions since 2019 with plans to convert the manager's flat above the pub into hotel rooms to "ensure the longevity of the business."
He said that in return for this personal investment, he had asked for a long-term contract. But was refused, with Trust Inns saying they could only give him a three year contract.
He said the Trust looked into financing the investment themselves, but ultimately decided that neither they nor he would be able to go ahead with the transformation.
He said: "I was still intent on investing, because I knew it couldn't survive otherwise. Partly because of lockdown, the changing drinking culture and the fact it's become more of a student area.
"I didn't want to just roll over and pay dilapidation costs, because I wouldn't have a say in what the money was spent on, despite knowing the place better than anyone else".
Steve first took on the pub after a stint working the doors in Newcastle. The place had previously been shut for a two years due to antisocial behaviour and "the police couldn't understand" why he'd want to get involved.
Steve continued: "The dynamic has certainly changed over the years. There used to be six other pubs and a working men's club in the area, now the Black Bull is the last one standing.
"These days, matchdays are the only really popular times, because mostly people just head into town if they want a drink. We'd already tried different things like introducing Sunday lunches to try and pick up business.
"I knew that converting the upstairs into rooms would be a best option, and I told Trust Inns they could be involved with the development process and check in at anytime they liked.
"I first heard about the 'dilapidated state' from Trust Inns in October, and by November, I was being forced out.
"I tried to phone my business develop manager when I was told I needed to leave, but he never responded, and since then I haven't been able to speak to anyone. It's left a really bad taste in my mouth."
Steve said that letting his long-term staff go with just 10 days notice was "incredibly difficult", especially given that he had plans to invest and wanted to take the pub forward.
He has many wonderful memories at the Black Bull, from hosting Christmas parties for the likes of Alan Shearer, Rob Lee and Philippe Albert, to pulling pints for members of Westlife post-concert during their heyday.
But also some close-calls: he recalls being firebomed and having a gun pulled out on him during his early days in the pub, when the Black Bull still had a "rough" reputation. .
He said: "I feel that I've been forced out rather than leaving voluntarily, without being given a clear reason why I can't invest."
A Trust Inns spokesperson responded to the allegations claiming “Mr Burns chose to leave the Black Bull of his own volition".
The spokesperson said Trust Inns understood it was an upsetting time for Mr Burns but said they vehemently denied his allegations.
The spokesperson added: "Should Mr Burns wish to continue with legal proceedings then Trust Inns would defend its position with confidence."
"As a national and long standing pub estate company, Trust Inns adheres to an industry approved Code of Practice for all its lease and tenancy agreements. The company is proud of its 27 year history and continues to work hard, supporting and working together with its lessees and tenants at creating great local pubs across the country.”
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