It could be last orders for iconic city centre pub
ONE of Manchester’s most iconic pubs is calling on donations from punters to ensure it can reopen after lockdown.
The Briton’s Protection has been serving drinkers for hundreds of years and has welcomed famous customers from Badly Drawn Boy to New York mayor Bill de Blasio over the years.
But like many pubs across the country, it now finds itself battling to survive the coronavirus lockdown.
Owner Mark West says The Briton’s is not entitled to any government help, aside from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, known as furlough. As such, he is currently forking out thousands of pounds a month to keep his two city centre pubs, The Briton’s Protection and The City Arms, afloat.
“We have furloughed staff but I have two live-in managers,” Mark says. “How long do we go on like this for? It’s haemorrhaging money.”
Mark runs The Briton’s, on Great Bridgewater Street, as ‘market rent only’ – meaning only rent is paid to landlord Star Pubs & Bars but the alcohol can be sourced elsewhere.
As such, Mark pays higher rents which Star Pubs say they can only defer for so long. The government is currently offering hospitality businesses grants of up to £25,000 if their rateable value is less than £51,000.
But The Briton’s Protection has had a rateable value of £54,000 since 2018 – a decision Mark is appealing.
He says: “Our rateable value is more than £51,000 so we have had no help whatsoever. I’m funding both sites myself at the moment.
“If these businesses go to the wall it’s such a shame because they are the heart and soul of Manchester.
“The market rent only was specifically set up so it was a level playing field. We fought for it tooth and nail.
“But these big pub companies seem to be saying ‘it’s your problem, you deal with it.’
“The Briton’s has not had a penny and we’ve been forced to shut.”
Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs & Bars, said: “Those pubs that have chosen to operate their pubs on a Market Rent Only lease basis make up a tiny proportion of pubs in our estate.
“Our arrangement with them is that of a conventional commercial landlord as they have chosen to take a greater risk than leased and tenanted pubs which receive more support from us.”
Pubs on a MRO lease are having three months rent deferred until the end of June and have until March 2021 to pay it back. Briton’s Protection landlord, Allan Hudd, has set up a fundraising appeal to try and raise money to keep the pub going post-lockdown.
A statement on a GoFundMe page reads: “The donations will solely be used to help towards costs that being unable to trade makes impossible to maintain.
“We welcome you to donate to our cause and in return would like to reward you when we manage to reopen. Let’s keep a Manchester institution standing.”