Landlord’s fury as Griffin up for sale

A Wigan landlord has vented his frustration at being told his pub would be put up for sale by its owners.

Ian Williams was suddenly informed earlier this week by The Griffin Hotel’s owners, Admiral Taverns, that the Standishgate pub would be put on the market. An earlier post on The Griffin Hotel’s Facebook page revealed: “Sorry to have to inform you that the owners of the property have today put in on the market.”

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Looks like giro day in Worsley Hall.

What has killed these big pubs off, is the running costs, the bigger and more valuable the property is, the more they pay in business rates and utility bills, such as gas and electric and water and health and safety requirements, need to be paid for too, they need to break even and then make a profit for the owners.

That is why the smaller independent pubs and bars who are free to sell what their customers want to buy, are doing well, they are much cheaper to run and are popular with boozers, because they sell decent booze

You're right TTS, Granada Reports were at the Manchester Beer and Cider Festival last night and also at a micro brewery that had a bar, the customers said that they went there because the beer tasted like beer unlike the beer served up by the major brewers.

I don't know if it has changed but I think the rates used to be affected by the number of barrels you sold. The same with the rents. The more you sold the higher your rent. I would have thought it would have made more sense to the breweries to be the opposite way round. You go in at a certain rent but if you work hard and sell more of their produce we will reduce the rent. This is why the likes of Tommy Barton etc. prospered. They would deliver the same beer but the brewery were unaware so couldn't put your rent up.

Thought it was more based on rentable value. Hence a town centre spot would pay more than one on the outskirts of town. Obviously the size of the place would affect rentable value too. I know business rate allowance are going from 6k to 12k in April. So this will be a massive saving for lots of small businesses.

The Valuation Office certainly looked at the number of barrels in the late 60's/ early 70's. The rentable value on " a free and open " market came into it also.

On reflection i think there is a turnover question on that form. It's been one of the many reasons town centre shops are struggling to compete with the internet.

The Griffin? - never been the same since Billy B left

Did anyone see Billy B pull a pint I didn't.

served me plenty times peter g and anyway he deserved a rest

I'd have pulled mi own just to be in his company

sad but good luck to current manager.