Boutique hotel plan for city’s Jewellery Quarter Pub chain to convert grade II-listed former goldsmiths
ANEW boutique hotel is to be created in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter. London-based Mosaic Pub & Dining will convert a grade II-listed building next to the popular Button Factory, which it also owns along with The Distillery in Sheepcote Street, off Birmingham’s Broad Street.
The company confirmed the hotel plans after news last week that it is buying three more city pubs for a combined £1.3 million.
Mosaic has acquired Edmunds Bar, The Rectory and The Queens Arms from B3 Bar Ltd, an independent company named after the postcode where they are based.
The deal means Mosaic will take on the The Rectory freehold and the other two sites as leasehold.
Even though the pubs were still trading as recently as mid-August, Mosaic’s chief executive officer Peter McDonald said he was buying them under vacant possession.
He said: “I first spoke to the owner three or four months ago and we shook hands on the first day. He wanted to get out of the business and it has all gone through very quickly.
“The deal has cost £1.3 million but there will be a lot of extra investment needed on top of that.”
More than 20 jobs have currently been lost as a result of the closure of the three pubs with some employees venting their frustration at the speed of events.
One former barmaid said: “We have been put into debt because nobody with less than two years’ service is getting any redundancy.
“There were rumours of a sale a month ago but we didn’t have any concrete evidence. We have just lost our jobs at short notice and has been no compassion.”
Mr McDonald said he wasn’t responsible and expected to create 50 jobs across the three pub sites.
“I have always increased the number of people working,” said Mr McDonald.
“The pubs we have bought were vacant possession.
“We have met the previous staff and have their details if we have suitable opportunities in the future because otherwise we have to go through agencies to find new staff.”
Mr McDonald added: “We have refurbishments planned, with new menus, to refresh and finesse them. there
“It’s difficult to work out how long it is going to take, but we hope to use local tradesmen.
“It’s really exciting because we’ve taken on three really good pubs.”
The dilapidated 1860s grade II-listed building where the hotel will be created was a former goldsmiths.
In November 2017 it was revealed that plans for the site had been submitted.
Documents accompanying the application said: “The public benefit of having this building brought back into active use after so long far outweighs any harm to the interior of the building necessary to effect that new use.
“The outbuilding, subsequently linked to the main building, is in an appalling state, to the point of being dangerous.”
Mr McDonald said: “It is very costly to bring these buildings back to the fore, but it’s worth it in the end.
“Here, we are having to knock down one wall ready to rebuild it with the same bricks, but it will be a really good, fun space we could use for anything from axe throwing to baseball cages.
”There is so much investment here and people coming that it is really taking its place as the Second City.
“Everyone is realising what a great place Birmingham is.”