But it wasn’t because of the food.
Bruce Gray, licensee of the Adam & Eve, Hotwells, who previously worked for anarchic Scottish brewers BrewDog, told the Bristol Post that despite solid trade and positive reviews, massive repair and refurbishment costs had left him with no other decision than to close the pub.
‘Logic won over emotions’
He said: “It was a very difficult decision and one which took several weeks to make. But finally logic won out over emotions and we just had to close – the building is literally falling apart.
“We only had a short lease on the premises to begin with, so we are only leaving slightly early.”
Given that the brewery’s lease on the building was due to expire in a couple of months, they had not been willing to invest in maintenance, he alleged.
“We were fine to pay for the first two or three repairs, but when it gets to the sixth or seventh problem, you have to draw the line.”
While it was operational, the Adam & Eve served a 100% vegetarian menu, with approximately 80% of dishes containing no animal protein whatsoever.
Dishes included rhubarb and mint panzanella, jerk vegetable puff tart with Cavolo Nero kale and pine nuts and gluten-free lasagne with fries and slaw.
Mainstream
The Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) recently reported that vegetarian and vegan food were set to become more mainstream, with data revealing 31% of new dishes on UK menus were now meat-free.
Peter Linden, senior analyst at MCA, told the PMA: “The healthier eating megatrend plays a key role, as operators expect consumers to embrace vegetarian options.”
Pub giant JD Wetherspoon was last month praised by animal rights charity PETA for implementing a wider range of vegetarian and vegan options.