The Crown, CSG shut.

Not one of my favourite pubs in CSG but noticed yesterday at the CSG beer festival it is now closed.

Such a shame to see another pub close, hopefully it will re-open as another pub/restaurant and not one of the coffee chain shops!

Use them or lose them!

Simples!

We was invited by Guy Bradley (Crown landlord) for farewell drinks at the Crown on Saturday 6 July as it was Guy's final day, he had been losing money for nearly 3 years until enough is enough.

I would ask you this question, when was the last time any one of you went into your local pub and then returned to that local venue, answer this question to yourself and you will have the answer.
The expectancy of a pub now is incredible, they are meant to serve 'Top Chefs' quality food at transport cafe prices, oh, please don not tip the barmaid for waiting on you neither, because it is only a pub.
Also stock wines, lagers and real ales for every individuals taste, supply free entertainment, and when the local pub has achieved this miracle, the pub must charge supermarket prices.

There is a simple answer to all this, go to the supermarket i.e. Tesco's (currently circling & hovering over Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns)and purchase the wines and beers and spirits and pre-load at home.
Then proceed to your local pub buy one drink (because you are now pretty full), complain about the price and the food and the free entertainment, and when the pub has gone show shock, horror and surprise.

Sorry about sounding facetious, but have been on that side of the fence with relatively successful pubs and have seen first hand the growing problems thrown at the pub trade over the past 10 years, and it aint getting any better neither.
Most people, appear to me anyway, to have made up their minds already, let the pubs go, oh, shock, horror and surprise, they will and indeed they are.

I live in st Giles and regularly went to the crown (probably once a month). I liked the food and found it well priced. Also chatted to Guy quite a lot and was surprised when he said he was closing as working 80 hours a week with no reward is not good.

I used To go to the merlins but I find the atmosphere hostile and the beer is sometimes poor.

The white hart's food is microwave stuff, but the atmosphere is nice.

I fully support reducing tax on pub sales and increasing on off sales.

Having not being able to eat at the Crown, we went across to Merlins but they don't do evening food and the pub was empty. Luckily we managed to get into a pub that did food and it was packed.

I enjoy pubs but really can't afford to drink in them. It's not the pubs fault but I now only drink when eating out.