Pub company shuts venues

A company that owns village pubs across Leicestershire and elsewhere has shut five of its UK premises - but none of those affected are in this area.

RedCat owns pubs all over the country, including five in Leicestershire and one in Rutland.

The local RedCat pubs are the The Blue Bell in Rothley, The Curzon Arms in Woodhouse Eaves, the Windmill in Wymeswold near Loughborough, The Langton Arms in Church Langton near Market Harborough and The Crown in Old Dalby, near Melton. It also owns The Lord Nelson in Oakham.

A section of the company, called RedCat Leased Pubs Ltd (RCLP), has gone into administration and five of its pubs have now closed. The good news for Leicestershire and Rutland drinkers is that none of the local RedCat pubs are owned by that section of the company.

The pubs that will be sold are all down south - in Fulham, High Wycombe, Weybridge, Tonbridge and Kensington. Administrators Interpath Advisory made the announcement on Thursday last week.

Nick Holloway, managing director at Interpath Advisory said: “RCLP comprises a group of pub sites in prominent locations, predominantly in London and the South East. Financial challenges have weighed heavily on the company in recent years which rendered it unable to continue in its current form.

“The administration now provides a period in which we can undertake a marketing process to explore a sale of business and assets of the pubs either individually or as a group.

“We expect interest from across the industry.

“Regrettably, the financial position of the business means that five sites have now closed.”