A Nottingham city centre pub has temporarily closed its doors while the search for a new tenant continues. Fellows, Morton & Clayton, a canalside pub, posted on Facebook, that it hoped to reopen 'early 2023.'
The pub belongs to Stonegate, the biggest pub company in the UK, which also operates a host of other bars in the city. These include Slug & Lettuce, Huddl, Be at One, the Loxley and Pit & Pendulum.
Stonegate has been advertising for a tenant for a number of weeks, describing the bar, in Canal Street, as having "plenty of character and charm." According to the listing on Stonegate's website, the business has a potential turnover of £533,000 and is located in a "great location for heavy footfall."
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The blurb describes the pub as "thriving," stating: "With a combination of great beers, an all-day food menu, sport on the televisions and live music, there's something for everyone, from ale drinkers and students to office workers, shoppers and dog walkers.
"As you enter through the main entrance, you are immediately greeted by the main salon bar with plenty of character and charm. This area really does evoke a warm and relaxed feeling lending itself to both drinkers and diners."
The 1895 redbrick building was once offices to Britain’s largest 19th century canal freight operator. It became a pub in the 1980s. The pub has had mixed fortunes in the last few years even before the closures imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.
One licensee departed under a cloud in April 2017, claiming he’d been priced out by Ei (which was later bought out by Stonegate). The Ever So Sensible Group threw in the towel in April 2018 in a difference of opinion with Ei about the emphasis on serving food.
The pub was then taken over by the Bermondsey Pub Company, which was later absorbed by Stonegate in 2020. As a result there were a number of closures over an 18-month period before the pub reopened in September 2018 on a more settled footing with renewed confidence.
Last August Stonegate applied to Nottingham City Council for listed planning consent to retain retractable canvas awnings and external lighting and install new outdoor heaters. However, earlier this month the plans were withdrawn.
A spokesperson for Stonegate Pub Partners said: “Fellows Morton and Clayton has transferred to a different operational division and so this has now voided our requirement for a planning application. The pub will now be operated by a tenant and the team is looking forward to reopening the pub as soon as possible."
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