A city-centre pub that had previously been awarded Oxford pub of the year three times by “CAMRA” is to closed on Saturday after “attempts to renegotiate the liaise” failed.
“Far from The Madding Crowd”, which describes itself as a “family run, independent free house in the heart of Oxford” declared last Saturday was to be the final day of serving customers since opening in 2002, making it one of Oxford’s youngest pubs.
In a statement to its customers, the pub said, “Following negotiations with the landlord, attempts to renegotiate were not possible” and that therefore they had been “told to vacate the premises by 31st of January”.
Landlord Charles Eld had previously told the Oxford Mail that running the pub was “no longer economically viable”, citing alcohol pricing in supermarkets and a change in the drinking culture as a fundamental reason.
Bartender John Burns, however, turned to the issue of local people not attending the pub so much, as opposed to a change in university drinking culture.
He told Cherwell, “When the students are back, we’re busy and our quiz attracts a fair few people, but when university students aren’t about we just don’t get enough customers.”
Despite having held cider festivals, quiz nights and “Open Mic” evenings, Burns did not believe customer numbers had risen outside of University Term time.
The closure also raises questions about the future of the pub industry in a city notorious for a number of both historic and newer pubs.
Oxford Councillor Bob Price was quick to point out that Oxford has previously escaped the pub decline.
He commented, “There has been a long term national decline in the number of pubs but, thankfully, Oxford city centre has gone against this trend and retained most of its historic pubs as well as adding new places to drink and eat that are pleasant and interesting.”
“’Far from the Madding Crowd’ was set up fairly recently to provide a music venue, as well as a pub and has been a great success over the years it has been open, so we are sad to see it shut.”
He also emphasised that the Council has worked hard on its planning policies in order to protect pubs from conversion to housing as far as it can, but explained how the current Coalition Government’s “liberalisation of permitted development rights” has made this conversion of pubs for retail use very difficult to prevent.
He said, “We successfully resisted the conversion of the Chester Arms in Iffley Fields last year, but such successes are relatively rare.”
Chairman of Oxfordshire of Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Tony Goulding was equally keen to point out that the Oxford Pub industry does not seem under any imminent threat.
He told Cherwell, “It was a tragedy to lose ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ (FFTMC), but I believe that the remaining city centre pubs are in good health with the occasional shock coming from the suburbs and outlying villages.
“In the brave venture of opening FFTMC, the rent and council taxes proved to be a never ending burden on the business. The cost of obtaining a city pub on purchase is almost beyond the pale due to extreme value of land and buildings; only the big pub companies or larger breweries having any resources and even they are reluctant to throw high 6 figure sums around.“
He went on to discuss the biggest threats to Oxford’s pub industry, remarking on companies like “Wetherspoon” who have chosen to convert shops into pubs with their “seemingly bottomless pit of money” and the competition from supermarkets.
It is not yet known whether the premises will remain a pub, or whether it could convert to housing.
Strathclyde Pension Fund owns the building in Friar’s entry, although they are unavailable for comment.
