Brighton: The Bevy pub could close in two months' time

The Bevy in Moulsecoomb has revealed that the venue has only two months to turn its fortunes around or it faces shutting for good.

The pub was founded by residents in 2014 to replace The Bevendean which shut four years earlier

However, the team behind it has admitted to having “never really turned a profit” in the nine years it has been open.

Owners of The Bevy said it is currently losing around £3,000 a month, with losses worse in the winter when sales are lower.

Staff costs have gone up due to their commitment to the Living Wage, with rising stock prices, rent and utilities all putting the venue’s future in doubt.

The Bevy has £8,000 left in reserves, meaning the pub may only have two months left open unless the venue can turn things around.

MOST READ:

• Students demand fees back after feeling 'cheated' by university
• Work begins to turn RAF site into flats for homeless families
• City bus shelters to become cafes and kiosks ​

A spokesman for The Bevy said: “Despite massive cost cutting, it’s been a real struggle.

“Add to this grants drying up, the cost of living crisis and inflation through the roof with people having even less money to pop out for a pint, we are running out of options.

“Pubs are closing across the country - even Wetherspoon is shutting down branches.”

The pub’s owners are urging residents to help promote some of their regular events, including their seniors lunch club and new monthly disability discos.

“We don’t want The Bevy to be the first and last community pub on an estate,” the owners said.

The Bevy organises a range of community events, including an annual Christmas lunch (Image: The Argus)

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the area's local MP, said that losing The Bevy was "simply not an option".

He said: "I've been a proud supporter of The Bevy from the very beginning. I hold my surgeries there and I've held events there.

"Losing them is simply not an option. They're a nationally recognised institution for the work they do in the community in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean.

"I will wait to find out more about the current situation, but I know the whole community will be eager to help in whatever way we all can."

The Bevy, the country's only community-owned pub on an estate, is holding a public meeting about its future on July 1 at 2pm at the pub.

Residents banded together to open the venue, which has since become a hub for the community and a range of different groups, charities and events.

During the pandemic, it was a community kitchen, securing grants and raising money to deliver free meals on wheels to the most vulnerable.

People can buy shares in the pub for as little as £10 a year to help staff continue their work to provide a community hub for residents.

Donations can also be made via its website at thebevy.co.uk.