Pub merry-go-round in Brighton

[Herr Tubthumper]

This will please a number of you as I know The Spotted Dog had some followers on here.

Well, I have just heard that the recently opened The Cask (nee The Spotted Dog) has been handed back to Green King and the nice couple who ran The Spotted Dog are in contention to get it back. Keep your fingers crossed because if they do they will switch it back to The Spotted Dog.

And if you liked The Cask you will be pleased to here that they will be moving to Upper North Street and taking over The Florist. I think they're going to use their other name though, Craft Beer Co or something similar; they have a pub in Clerkenwell.

Win win.

PS Any one else been to My Brewery Tap? They started off well but have disappointed me recently; the last few times I have been in there they have just had the more popular end of the market for sale. Shame.

 

[Albumen]

Unfortunately the cask ripped out all the character from the hot poles/spotted dog so it needs some work. Meddlers.

 

[Notters]

The whole reason they left is because Greene King were charging them too much rent. Greene King are the devil incarnate.

 

[Notters]

PS Any one else been to My Brewery Tap? They started off well but have disappointed me recently; the last few times I have been in there they have just had the more popular end of the market for sale. Shame.

Haven't been in there yet but didn't see any pumps when I walked past. Let me guess, Doom Bar, Tim Taylor's and Old Speckled Hen?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Haven't been in there yet but didn't see any pumps when I walked past. Let me guess, Doom Bar, Tim Taylor's and Old Speckled Hen?

31 pumps of US style craft beer across the back of the bar where you would typically house the optics. And none of the ones you mention...but then it's craft beer, not real ale.

 

[Tony@thesnowdrop]

Thanks for the positive words. Unfortunately Greene King didn't take up our offer and have given the pub to Indigo, on a rent I suspect is drastically reduced from what we were paying. We look forward to returning to a pub in Brighton in future, but in the meantime we'll be concentrating on the Snowdrop in Lewes where we don't have to have anything to do with Greene King!

 

[BensGrandad]

That is usual. the big pub owners Enterprise, Punch, GK etc price a decent man out of the pub then let it to a company on a 12 month low rent lease rather than keep the original man at a sensible rent. Stupid in my view

 

[Biffer]

Yep, you're dancing with the devil when you take a lease with any of these guys.
Good luck at The Snowdrop. Hope it's going well.

 

[vegster]

Haven't been in there yet but didn't see any pumps when I walked past. Let me guess, Doom Bar, Tim Taylor's and Old Speckled Hen?

Only Betty Scoggs missing from that list, surely ?

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

So what of the new owners of The Florist/Princess Victoria which, I believe, opens next Friday?

Very convenient (but underused pub) for me at lunchtimes. Last owners were very nice & pleasent but always seemed strange characters staying over plus pub was often beerless on a Friday lunchtime.

I know it will sell some real ales but I have some rather fussy lagar & cider drinking mates too. Plus I suppose it'll be pretty pricey?

 

[Pevenseagull]

can't remember the figure but someone told me the rent Cask was paying and my instant reaction was that they didn't stand a chance

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Thanks for the positive words. Unfortunately Greene King didn't take up our offer and have given the pub to Indigo, on a rent I suspect is drastically reduced from what we were paying. We look forward to returning to a pub in Brighton in future, but in the meantime we'll be concentrating on the Snowdrop in Lewes where we don't have to have anything to do with Greene King!

This is a shame as I loved what you guys did with The Spotted Dog. I'll keep my fingers crossed you can find your way back into Brighton some day. I'm no stranger to The Snowdrop though, living in Hove means I can only get there every so often but I always make a point of visiting when I'm in Lewes.

 

[fataddick]

A couple of extra tidbits re this: Indigo have presumably received some investment or cash injection from somewhere, as indications are they are looking to expand their pub portfolio quite a bit this summer. As well as the pub on Middle Street (which rumour is will revert to the Hop Poles name) it's also been confirmed that they have taken on the Stand Up Inn in Lindfield that Dark Star recently gave up, with other pubs to follow.

As regards Cask/Craft, they are sister pubs in London - Cask focusing more on food, Craft more on beer. The reason they gave up the lease on Brighton Cask in Middle Street after just three months is that they are actually buying the freehold on Upper North Street (former Princess Victoria/Florist) for Brighton Craft, and needed to make savings elsewhere (ie the lease expenditure) to afford it. Craft when it opens there will apparently be on two floors rather than the previous single floor bar, and have nine handpumps plus 21 (!) keg dispensers.

 

[Tubby Mondays]

This will please a number of you as I know The Spotted Dog had some followers on here.

Well, I have just heard that the recently opened The Cask (nee The Spotted Dog) has been handed back to Green King and the nice couple who ran The Spotted Dog are in contention to get it back. Keep your fingers crossed because if they do they will switch it back to The Spotted Dog.

And if you liked The Cask you will be pleased to here that they will be moving to Upper North Street and taking over The Florist. I think they're going to use their other name though, Craft Beer Co or something similar; they have a pub in Clerkenwell.

Win win.

PS Any one else been to My Brewery Tap? They started off well but have disappointed me recently; the last few times I have been in there they have just had the more popular end of the market for sale. Shame.

Cask and Craft are two entirely different companies, although their logos are similar.

Craft Brewing Company do indeed run a pub in Clerkenwell on Leather Lane, and very good it is too. They were always opening a pub on Upper North Street in June this year. Cask handing over the Spotted Dog back to Greene King has nothing to do with this.

 

[fataddick]

Cask and Craft are two entirely different companies, although their logos are similar.

No they're not. It's the same company. They closed down Brighton Cask so they could afford the freehold on Brighton Craft.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Cask and Craft are two entirely different companies, although their logos are similar.

Craft Brewing Company do indeed run a pub in Clerkenwell on Leather Lane, and very good it is too. They were always opening a pub on Upper North Street in June this year. Cask handing over the Spotted Dog back to Greene King has nothing to do with this.

I'm confused now. In the post above you said Cask and Craft were sister pubs? This implies that, whilst legally they might be seperate companies, they are linked. Now you're saying they're entirelly different? Can you clarify please.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I'm confused now. In the post above you said Cask and Craft were sister pubs? This implies that, whilst legally they might be seperate companies, they are linked. Now you're saying they're entirelly different? Can you clarify please.

Doh, sorry, I misread the post name. Please ignore.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

nine handpumps plus 21 (!) keg dispensers.

21 keg dispensers....WOW!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

A couple of extra tidbits re this: Indigo have presumably received some investment or cash injection from somewhere, as indications are they are looking to expand their pub portfolio quite a bit this summer. As well as the pub on Middle Street (which rumour is will revert to the Hop Poles name) it's also been confirmed that they have taken on the Stand Up Inn in Lindfield that Dark Star recently gave up, with other pubs to follow.

As regards Cask/Craft, they are sister pubs in London - Cask focusing more on food, Craft more on beer. The reason they gave up the lease on Brighton Cask in Middle Street after just three months is that they are actually buying the freehold on Upper North Street (former Princess Victoria/Florist) for Brighton Craft, and needed to make savings elsewhere (ie the lease expenditure) to afford it. Craft when it opens there will apparently be on two floors rather than the previous single floor bar, and have nine handpumps plus 21 (!) keg dispensers.

I'm thinking this new Craft pub will be my new favourite.

 

[Albumen]

30 beers?? Holy shit I'll marry the pub.