Small independent pub company signs lease to take over
One of the long-closed pubs in central Oxford, the Grapes in George Street, is set to reclaim its place as a top real ale venue on a street otherwise dominated by large pub chains and restaurants. The Grapes, which closed in December 2021 after leaseholder West Berkshire Brewery went into administration, will join a stellar line-up of 16 real ale pubs in and around London including the Lyric in Soho, the Express Tavern at Kew Bridge, the Magdala in Hampstead and the Corner House in Windsor.
Landlord will be Johnny Roberts, previously assistant manager at Wetherspoon’s Four Candles before moving to the White House in Bladon when it re-opened as a Community-Owned pub. At both pubs he forged strong links with local breweries, with local and national real ales likely to be offered at the Grapes.
The group’s pubs are operated by various companies including Twickenham Green Taverns, and boss Dick Morgan confirmed on Tuesday that the deal had been signed although confirmation of this was still awaited from Oxford City Council, which owns the building. Despite the grimy appearance of the pub after 18 months of closure, he said work to prepare the pub would start next week and take about six weeks, with a target of re-opening in August.
The Grapes is expected to have eight hand pumps and up to 25 keg lines, serving mainly independent ales and ciders, and will offer simple pub food. Some of the pubs in the group are known for their vinyl record collections, adding to the quirky vibe in contrast to the mass market atmosphere of nearest competitors the Wig & Pen (Greene King), O’Neill’s (M&B) and the Four Candles.
Re-opening of a traditional pub on George Street would be a major gain for the real ale scene in the city, following on from re-opening of the Lamb & Flag last October, but with the Eagle and Child still closed. Another former real ale venue, the Mitre on High Street, was also long-term closed but is now the Gusto Italian restaurant with no trace remaining of its former identity or history.
The Grapes was previously leased to Greene King, then Bath Ales from 2012 (which later renamed it Beerd) and West Berkshire Brewery from 2019. The liquidator of West Berkshire held the lease after this brewery closed, and following lockdown closures the Grapes was finally shut in December 2021.
Both Bath Ales (later taken over by St Austell Brewery) and West Berkshire, whose beer brands are now produced on the same site by its successor, Renegade, spent money renovating the pub while trying to retain its Victorian character. Dating from 1820 but rebuilt in 1879, the narrow building is one of the smallest pubs in the city centre which meant it was unlikely to be of interest to a major chain.
The Grapes was popular among locals, students, visitors and also patrons of the New Theatre opposite, as if you slip out quickly at the interval of a performance, you could be served more quickly in the pub than at the theatre’s own expensive bar. With a much wider choice of ales, of course!
