Property
‘We couldn’t see another pub go to waste’: Brighton brewery to save 200-year-old pub
Brighton Bier is planning to take on the Grade II listed building the Jury’s Out in the city and reopen it as the new Brighton Bierhaus by the end of February 2017.
Brighton Bier fellow director Stephen Whitehurst told The Morning Advertiser (MA): “If someone hadn't stepped in to save the Jury's Out, there would have been one pub left on that street.
“With the current rate of pubs closing all over the country, it was just a bit of a travesty.”
‘A very exciting addition’
Whitehurst told the MA there was a “huge amount” of investment and redevelopment in the area surrounding the Bierhaus.
He added: “It's a very exciting addition and a perfect location for us, it’s very much in the area that Brighton Bier was born.”
Brighton Bier director Olly Fisher told The Argus: “We could not see another pub of such importance close in Brighton and wanted to step in.
“We just couldn’t see a building with such potential go to waste and a pub with nearly 200 years of heritage be lost.”
Planning permission
Whitehurst told the MA the pub was currently waiting for planning permission to use the floors above the pub as offices.
However, as a former live-in tenancy pub, the only access to the upper floors is through a staircase behind the bar, which could cause some health and safety issues.
Whitehurst said there are plans to include a separate entrance to access the offices above the Bierhaus.
He said: “It's a classic live-in tenancy pub and it's not how a lot of sites operate anymore.
“There are a few businesses which are looking into moving into the space upstairs. They can ensure the sustainability of the building, because it can no longer be used as a family accommodation.”
He added: “Once we get planning permission, with a target date for the 9 January, everything should happen very quickly.
“To have a proper Brighton Bier brewery tap will be a fantastic opportunity for the business and our beer drinkers.”
