Shock Closure Of The Buck At Thorpe

[NorfolkNog]

According to the EDP 

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/shock-and-disappointment-as-historic-pub-forced-to-close-at-short-notice-1-5240296

 

[Wussername]

To that you can add The Huntsman and the Shoulder Mutton. Both in the village of Strumpshaw.

Andrew

[NorfolkNog]

That's bad news indeed Andrew. We were in the Huntsman in June. Good pub. 

Same pubco by any chance? 

Sorry just seen Enterprise - why am I not surprised. 

[Labrador]

Erpingham Arms (ex Spread Eagle) has just closed. Privately owned, owner has put it down to poor trading figures. 

[NorfolkNog]

Were Woodfordes based there at one time Lab? Or did I imagine it. 

Just goes to emphasise - use it or lose it  

[Labrador]

Yes Howard, they were there before they moved to Woodbastwick.

As an aside, they arnt doing very well running the F and F themselves.

[Springsong]

The ex landlord of the Spread Eagle, after the fire, went to the F&F where he was very successful managing it. John Marjoram if I remember correctly.  

[Labrador]

Correct, Barry

[Wussername]

I see so many good pubs that defy financial gravity. How they survive is a mystery. They are an integral part of social life, albeit on the Broads or within the community. 

One pub I frequented the other day, £30, four glasses of  Rose wine.  The retail price of the wine, per bottle £7:50.

Customer resistance will be inevitable. 

Andrew

Edited October 17, 2017 by Wussername
Addition

[JennyMorgan]

13 minutes ago, Wussername said:

I see so many good pubs that defy financial gravity. How they survive is a mystery. They are an integral part of social life, albeit on the Broads or within the community. 

One pub I frequented the other day, £30, four glasses of  Rose wine.  The retail price of the wine, per bottle £7:50.

Andrew

Normally eight glasses to a bottle, that makes it £60.00 for that £7.50 bottle. And such pubs blame the smoking ban!!

[ExMemberBobdog]

Sad to hear the Spread Eagle has died again.  It closed once before, but was refurbished and reopened as The Erpingham Arms.  Was a great village pub, with live music often on Friday nights.  Both the previous management and the more recent, in my opinion, got a bit too ambitious in the ‘gastro pub’ direction, when the area already had a couple of those (the Saracens Head  at Wolterton and The Walpole Arms at Itteringham).  Funny thing is, the village has been growing, new housing being built, so you’d have thought trade could have improved with the right offer.  I used to live in Erpingham, many years back, and considered myself a regular.  Oh well ...

[KaptinKev]

It makes me wonder than in years to come on the Broads, the bar will be your local Tesco/Asda and the sit down and enjoy your drink will be your boat. For me visiting a broads pub for a good ale and meal makes up a good percentage of my holiday and adds to the enjoyment of my vacation. Too many pubs are closing due to financial issues and people on the Broads are scrambling for moorings on the ones that manage to keep business.

[NorfolkNog]

3 hours ago, Labrador said:

As an aside, they arnt doing very well running the F and F themselves.

That's a shame. I don't go in very often but have found the beer very variable when I do. Although its a busy pub the emphasis always seems to be on meals and beer turnover seems quite low in comparison. I've always suspected they might use polypins could be wrong of course!!

Just on the general point of price - wine is always a killer. Even up here in 'ey up' land some pubs near me charge eye watering amounts for wine.

But I've said it many times, I'd rather sit in a pub with a pint of quality ale than sit in my kitchen with a six pack of John Smiths. I'm afraid I'll give up drinking before I drink at home.  

[Hockham Admiral]

I took Mary-Jane for a meal at the weekend to a pub just off the A47, Howard.

"Large or small wine?"

"What do you call large, please?"

"Large is 175ml"

"Can you do a 250ml, please"

"I can give you two small, 125 ml, in one glass"

"That 'll be fine, thank you"

I had a pint of Lacons at £3.60 and he then said:

"£14.80, please" 

I did choke on my beer!    

[Bound2Please]

26 minutes ago, Hockham Admiral said:

I had a pint of Lacons at £3.60 and he then said:

"£14.80, please" 

I did choke on my beer!    

Don't think I'd have choked, think I'd have sprayed the bar server.......... that's a **** take

Charlie

[ranworthbreeze]

The price of wine in pubs has always been an issue, most of the pubs on the broads would charge you similar.

When we used to go up Bowness every year most of the pubs there charged £4.40 for a 175 ml glass and that was in 2010.

Regards

Alan

[Bound2Please]

When we had the Dog & Pheasant, a glass (175ml) of house red or white, was always about the same price as a pint of premium larger. Maybe that's why in the season we went through about 4 or 5  2litre bottles on most days. We always showed a good profit on it, mind we was a FREE HOUSE...

Charlie

[Vaughan]

The Buck has had a chequered history, and was a Bullards pub in the 50s. I remember the beer being delivered by their dray, with two white Shire horses and the wooden beer barrels all stacked behind the bar.

The landlord was Wally Moore, followed by Ted and Daphne Rutter who went on to have the Coach and Horses on Rosary Corner. Then Jack and Connie followed by Connie on her own when Jack died. The best all of course, was Patsy Dashwood. In her day, people were parking in the Rushcutters car park and walking along to the Buck to have lunch!

I reckon I can say I was a regular as my first visit was when I was about four, and was left to play in the little snug at the end while parents were in the main bar. I managed to fall off the table I had climbed on to and ended up with my head in the coal fire. I still bear the scars!

Since Patsy there have been various management teams but they have all been unable to show the profits expected of them by the grabbing landlord. I am told that efforts are being made to find a suitable purchaser, so we will have to hope for the best.

 

[smellyloo]

40 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

 The best all of course, was Patsy Dashwood. In her day, people were parking in the Rushcutters car park and walking along to the Buck to have lunch!

Couldn't agree more .... Patsy certainly knew how to run a successful pub.

[Cheesey]

Guilty as charged.

I don't mind a Tescos bar selection with a great meal cooked on board at a fraction of a night out in a pub. 

Spend more money on the boat then..

[Paul]

4 hours ago, Cheesey said:

I don't mind a Tescos bar selection with a great meal cooked on board at a fraction of a night out in a pub. 

Spend more money on the boat then..

I'm sad to say I agree with you, I would never have dreamt of such at one time. The closure at the Buck sounds very political, something not uncommon at Ei

[JennyMorgan]

Weatherspoons and Castle Carveries seem to be able to get it right so why not Ei? Was at Beccles today, the Kings Head, it was absolutely heaving. The food was very good and beer excellent and well priced, seemingly just what us punters want.

[ranworthbreeze]

24 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Weatherspoons and Castle Carveries seem to be able to get it right so why not Ei? Was at Beccles today, the Kings Head, it was absolutely heaving. The food was very good and beer excellent and well priced, seemingly just what us punters want.

We have found the Kings Head and most of the other Weatherspoons we have been in on our boating holidays to be busy, value for money and often have offers on selected meals such as a free drink or even a free bottle of wine with two steak meals.

Regards

Alan

 

[NorfolkNog]

I'm not so familiar with Castle Carveries JM although I believe the Wherry Hotel is one? I'd guess they're all managed and on prime sites.

Wetherspoons again go for prime sites with maximum footfall. Again they are all managed. They work on low margins and high turnover. They also buy beer in eye watering quantities, for example all their pubs sell Greene King products and Doombar etc. Therefore they contract to take thousands of barrels and get a very good deal. No doubt they do the same with the grub.

The pubs that have the problems are the Ei, Punch, Marstons etc which are tenanted, have lower turnover, charged massive rents and have to pay around double for their beer compared to the free trade (and probably 3 times what Wetherspoons pay)

I have been in the Kings Head although I much prefer the Caxton Club

Wetherspoons have much to commend them but personally I find them a bit soulless places. I'd rather pay a bit more and drink in a more sociable atmosphere. Even though we are not local the steward in the Caxton Club knows me and Mrs N  and looks after us very well. For me that's the difference. I know I'm in the minority though, sadly.

As an aside look how well the Stanford Arms does. Its not a pubco pub. That I think is the nub of the problem.

[Paul]

Have to agree with JM, the King's in Beccles has always been half decent when we have visited. Sadly I'm not so lucky with the Caxton Club, we asked if we could go in once when Tosh Ewin's was playing as we always try and catch one of his gigs when we visit, and he doesn't play too many around the broads anymore. Was pointed out to us that it was a members club, as if we didn't understand what that meant.