More details are emerging about Enterprise Inns’ new managed pub business – which will operate initially in London under the name The Bermondsey Pub Company.
Jason Harris, formerly of SSP and JD Wetherspoon, has been recruited to head the business, which lists Enterprise’s CEO Simon Townsend and FD Neil Smith as directors, and which is registered at Enterprise’s head office in Solihull.
Harris told M&C Report that – following the opening of the company’s first pub, St James’ of Bermondsey on 9 May, in which the group has invested £250k - the business is already looking at converting “a couple more” pubs from within Enterprise’s estate within the M25, but added that there was no immediate target for pub numbers or template for pub types.
The Bermondsey Pub Company was initially registered with Companies House as Superior Blue Ltd, alongside two others – Image Gold Ltd and Bold Break Ltd – suggesting Enterprise has the creation of other regional managed pubcos in mind.
St James’ of Bermondsey – sited around one mile south-east of Tower Bridge – was formerly the St James Tavern, and was for sale last year for £1.1m – before Enterprise took it off the market and selected it as its first managed pub.
“It’s a traditional Victorian pub in the heart of Bermondsey, which is an up and coming area,” said Harris. “It was a great opportunity, albeit in need of decorative work, and we’ve brought it back to what it would have been with a six-week, £250,000 refurbishment using reclaimed furniture and floorboards – so it didn’t look too shiny and new.”
Harris recruited 10 staff to run the pub, which has a gross internal area of 5,630sq ft and trading space of 3,280sq ft plus a small garden, and pronounced himself delighted with the first weekend’s trading which “exceeded expectations”.
“What we’ve achieved is testament to what you can do with a proper pub,” he added.
The pub features a branded Pieminister counter serving hot pies from £6.50 and a range of bar snacks. And it will stock on rotation beer from each of six local craft breweries, starting with the Four Pure Brewing Company. There are plans to run beer festivals and meet the brewer events, starting in July.
Marketing support was provided for the opening by consultant Ashley Halliday, formerly head of marketing at JD Wetherspoon, via the website www.stjamesse16.com and the Twitter account @StJamesSE16 , which promoted the hashtag #notanotherblockofflats.
Halliday said: “It’s been a fantastic project to be involved with – changing people’s perceptions of this great pub with a bit of TLC and some real community spirit.”
