Two Brighton pubs shut

Two Brighton pubs were closed yesterday after the company that ran them went into administration.
The Dyke Tavern in Dyke Road, Brighton, and The Hobgoblin, in York Place, were shut by administrators from Grant Thornton, the firm of accountants.
The pubs were operated by Pubs ’n’ Bars and leased from Enterprise Inns and Punch Taverns respectively.
The three other Pubs ’n’ Bars premises in Brighton continue to trade and no further decisions about sale or closure are likely until the first week of January.
David Thurgood, one of the joint administrators from Grant Thornton, said: “I’m in the process of reviewing the whole of the remaining estate.”
The three pubs still trading are the Good Companions, in Dyke Road, close to the Seven Dials, the Tamplins Ale House, in Ditchling Road, and The Winner, in Elm Grove.
Pubs ’n’ Bars has debts of £24 million, mostly due to its bankers. In the year to June it made a loss of £690,000.
The smoking ban and the recession have been blamed for a downturn in trade which has hit sales and profits at the group, which has its head office in London.
Last month the directors of Pubs ’n’ Bars issued a trading statement which said: “The directors of Pubs ’n’ Bars, the community public house owner and operator, announce that the group continues to experience difficult trading conditions and a lack of supplier credit to the business which is having an adverse effect on the group’s working capital.
“The group’s bankers are currently supporting the business on a day to day basis and discussions with them regarding the group’s future funding are ongoing.”
Punch Taverns said: “We can confirm that a new licensee has been found to run The Hobgoblin on a temporary basis and we are confident that the pub will reopen in the near future.”
Enterprise Inns aims to re-open the Dyke Tavern as soon as possible and said that a “to let” sign would be put up there in the next day or so. Potential landlords or landladies can find out more by calling the Enterprise Inns recruitment team on 0800 9530072.