Hull's Minerva pub forced to close after Freedom Festival blow
AN HISTORIC city pub has closed its doors after being forced to shut on one of the busiest weekends of the year.
The Minerva Pub in Nelson Street has been serving punters for more than two centuries but faced problems during Freedom Festival weekend.
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Lost out: Minerva landlord Phil Daly has had to call time on the pub.
Landlord Phil Daly had to close the well-known watering hole after being unable to trade due to a licensing glitch.
He was expected to make between £25,000 and £40,000 when visitors flocked to Hull Marina but licensing officers found its premises licence had expired.
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Now, Mr Daly has announced to regulars on Facebook that the pub has closed permanently and said he is hoping to take on another bar in the city.
He said: "We pay £40,000 in rent a year, so takings from Freedom Festival would have looked after us and seen us through the winter."
He was unsure whether the pub would survive and said the loss would have a "big impact" on the business.
Now, his worst fears have been realised and they have had to shut due to lack of trade.
Mr Daly, who has worked in the pub trade for more than 20 years, took over at the Minerva three years ago and said due to its location on Hull Marina business is "very seasonal".
Kayleigh Cheyne works behind the bar at the nearby Green Bricks Pub in Humber Dock Street.
She said it was a "huge shame" that staff at the Minerva had been forced to call it a day.
"We had quite a few regulars in the pub who fluttered between the two and I heard that it had closed," she said.
"I don't think it will affect us but it's a shame for the area and for people who liked drinking in there.
"Rent is really expensive on the marina and I do think the takings from Freedom Festival have helped us to stay open throughout the winter months.
"This is a place people come during the summer but we do have a nice winter menu and a lot to offer."
Mr Daly said they missed out on Freedom Festival after failing to fill in part of a licensing form.
Stewart Campbell, an activist for the Campaign For Real Ale in East Yorkshire, said: "It's such a pity the pub has closed, I used to work there back when it was really busy.
"It's a focal part of the Marina and I think it might affect other businesses in the area. But it's a historic and well-known pub in the city and I think there will be interest in it."
Comments
by albaz
Friday, November 23 2012, 7:58PM
“There is no doubt that rents are exorbitant and pubs [and shops] are struggling or failing .
There is also no doubt supermarket sales of alcohol,sometimes as loss-leaders,hits hard.
However, the problem here is an expired licence and only one person is to blame for that especially as such an important time was imminent. One thing for certain, if I made such a blunder I would not pose for the HDM to further advertise my carelessness.”
by GarethC2010
Friday, November 23 2012, 4:40PM
“Should the headline not read 'Minerva Forced To Close Due To Managers Incompetence' rather than trying to sensationalise the reason as per usual by the HDM.
The reason it closed is not due to the Freedom Festival it is due to administrative incompetence so basic that even the Council cannot be blamed (for once)”
by hyphens--rule
Friday, November 23 2012, 12:13PM
“so Funbob,
"what the council have expected from this landmark site. It seems they believe they can sit back and just let the exorbitant rent wash over them to support another pointless TV shaped waste of money.. That the pub will somehow make money for them while they let the area around it rot."
The "license" has entered a contract knowing the how much the "exorbitant rent" was every month, personally if I have entered into business agreement which failed to meet my exception there is no way on earth I would appear in the local press complete with a pet lip to publish my lack of business acumen.
"But of course it's easier to blame the one person who has funded this local attraction without reward who is to blame.."
lol, its only a pub.....
"Think again trolls... And maybe look to your local electives and ask them what they are actually doing for this once great city, apart from destroying it from within."
again its only a pub, maybe the concuil will find a tenant who can make a good of it, or better still close it & make it into flats.....”
by Dandaragan
Friday, November 23 2012, 5:01AM
“Landowners in the city are killing the place. Living the good life off 'unearned' income is an attraction to us all but it is destroying cities around the world. No wonder people drink at home.
Cities should be full of people.
A solution is to whack up the rates on rented commercial properties to a point where rents are too high then this forces sales and the rise of residential development. Council taxes on residential properties should be very low attracting people.”
by Funbob
Friday, November 23 2012, 1:41AM
“Ah... The voice of the many witless, faceless and mindless trolls of the Internet.. How wise you are to understand the full story of what has happened here, of what the council have expected from this landmark site. It seems they believe they can sit back and just let the exorbitant rent wash over them to support another pointless TV shaped waste of money.. That the pub will somehow make money for them while they let the area around it rot.
But of course it's easier to blame the one person who has funded this local attraction without reward who is to blame.. Think again trolls... And maybe look to your local electives and ask them what they are actually doing for this once great city, apart from destroying it from within.”
by gillpad
Thursday, November 22 2012, 10:21PM
“What is the point of all these spurious red arrows? Use your brain instead of mindlessly clicking away on the red arrows.”
by india7
Thursday, November 22 2012, 9:01PM
“licensing officers decided to have this pub closed on the weekend that it would have made a fortune?!
Coincidence? Deliberate?...
No wonder other bar's made a killing!”
by dannydarko222
Thursday, November 22 2012, 8:16PM
“In my opinion the Minerva has been forced closed due to being "managed" by an idiot.
Trading 5 months without a license points towards gross incompetency, perhaps the time spent court cheap PR with fish & chips & posting on face book could have been spent doing the basics of running the bussiness”
by bazza_12
Thursday, November 22 2012, 6:49PM
“licence, rookie mistake.. for someone with his experience well.. words fail me. and as for the freedom festival footfall paying the rent for the year. surely no one should rely too much on one event to pay a major bill? What if there had been major flooding and no one turned up? Is this landlord capable of pulling a pint never mind running a pub....???”
by JayOnly
Thursday, November 22 2012, 6:12PM
“it's alright moaning about the pub being closed for the blinking sea Shanty or whatever, where were you all the other fifty odd weeks of the year. That part of town is also a massive casualty of the Castle Street debacle
Oh yay, oh yay listen to what I say...her come de judge”