A Northumberland pub named the friendliest in the country is hoping that the award will help it to find a new tenant.
Residents of Horncliffe raised more than £300,000 to save their pub, the Fishers Arms, and run it as a community asset. It opened for the first time just before Christmas 2023, with volunteers who live in the village running the boozer and community groups within it.
In March 2024, they thought they’d struck gold when John Graham and Kasia Kozik signed a five-year tenancy for the pub, promising home-made pub classics with a modern twist. Despite a successful start and opening a café aimed at combatting loneliness, the couple handed in their notice after four months, citing “personal reasons”.
Since July, the pub has since been run once again by the passionate volunteers who helped to save it in the first instance. Moira Kay, who chaired the buyout, said that she hoped being named the UK’s friendliest pub according to a TripAdvisor-based study would attract a new tenant.
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Moira told ChronicleLive that they had not yet had any “sensible” applicants. She said: “It would be quite a nice thing for someone. It’s a lovely little pub, it’s cheap as chips.”
(Image: Mo Kay)
At present, Moira and other volunteers are cooking a full menu each night, save for a few nights where pop-ups are offering foods from around the world – with the most recent a Sri Lankan evening. As much as she loves the pub, she’s ready for someone to take some of the heaviest lifting off her hands.
Moira continued: “There are a lot of pubs closing down, but we’re not running ours aiming to make loads of money. We just want to keep our darling pub open.”
David Smith, who was elected Labour MP for North Northumberland in last summer’s election, urged prospective tenants to get involved with the independent, community business. He said: “I’m delighted that the Fisher’s Arms is being recognised for the fantastic pub it is!
“The Fishers’ Arms and other community pubs like it show the value of locally-owned businesses and North Northumberland has hundreds of independent businesses serving their communities in friendly and sustainable ways. I also know that the Fishers’ Arms is currently looking for a new tenant and would urge anyone interested to consider taking it up.”
For more information on the tenancy available at the Fishers’ Arms, check out the listing on FindMyPub.
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/northumberland-pub-named-friendliest-uk-31132061
