Cockfield landlord quits after plea for brewery help

Andrew Pattison

A FORMER pub tenant has told of the difficulties in making a profit at a premises tied-in to a brewery.
Cockfield’s Andrew Pattison looked after the Kings Head on Front Street for more than six years.
The 51-year-old served his final pint at the pub in December but he revealed there was a strained relationship with its owners, Camerons Brewery.
Mr Pattison says he went to the brewery to ask for help.
He said: “Basically it came to a point where I had no money left – asking for help was the hardest thing to do. We sat around the table for an hour but they were not prepared to put anything into it.
“Unfortunately I had to put my fortnight’s notice in.”
Mr Pattison became Kings Head landlord in 2010 with rent costing about £50-a-week. But he said paying bills and tied-in beer prices on top of rising rent proved too much.
“When you looked around wholesalers you could buy a keg for £79 – it was £121 through the brewery,” he explained. “I was making 75p a pint after paying staff and bills – at one point we were paying £1,000 a week.
“It used to be packed on a Friday night but you’re struggling to make money – when you pay the singer and the staff there isn’t much money left over.
“I said that’s it – I couldn’t take any more.”
Mr Pattison has lived in the village all his life and has now gone back to running his kitchen installation firm full-time. His tenure at the Kings Head was marked by a glut of charity fundraisers and an impassioned campaign to keep wooden benches outside the pub.
“I started at the pub with eight members of my family in the village and now I feel like I’ve got 80,” he said.
“We did race nights, Middle House Madness, and we made a lot of friends through charity.
“We have in excess of £3,000 still to give to the Oak School.
“It’s sad – I’m going to miss it a lot.”
Matthew Stancliffe, from Camerons Brewery, confirmed Mr Pattison had left the pub but said he did not want to comment on the criticisms. Mr Stancliffe added: “We have decided not to reopen it straight away.
“We want to invest in the site and attract the right tenant.”
Mr Pattison has been told by Camerons he still owes them £49.
“It seems unless you own a pub yourself you are not going to get much out of it,” he added.
“Whoever does come in will be brave to do it.”