Community-run Elmswell Tavern closes as it gets set for major facelift

A community-run pub has been forced to close with the hopes of re-opening in the run up to Easter.

The Elmswell Tavern, (pictured above) which was purchased by the parish council in 2020 to save it from development and taken over by residents in the village, is now set to undergo a major facelift.

The pub, in School Road, had a successful period over Christmas which helped to confirm the belief that there is a need for more community space in Elmswell and that the extra facilities that a pub environment can offer are needed and will be welcomed.

In a post on their Facebook site it said that the new year has  brought “good news” that their crucial first hurdle is cleared and that they had attracted more than £100k in share income, allowing it to extend the offer until May 15 and giving the project an essential springboard towards attracting other funding.

“Many months of hands-on management of the Tavern have taught us much regarding the nuts-and-bolts of the refurbishment proposals and reinforced, above all, the need for kitchen facilities to service the essential food trade which supports the vast proportion of successful hospitality ventures.

“However, we have had to allow that our hopes of being able to support limited opening in the notoriously dead trading months to Easter cannot be realised.

“Many well-established rural pubs with a healthy restaurant or pub-food offering are having to close down completely or to offer just a very limited service, at least until Easter. On a wet-sales only basis there is little or no chance that the Elmswell Tavern can cover its fixed overheads.

“Consequently it has been decided that the pub will not open in the new year as provisionally planned and that the opportunity will be taken to begin stripping-out the premises ready for the refurbishment process. Everything of value and worth will be held securely off-site to be incorporated into the new enterprise.

“Meanwhile the behind-the-scenes work continues to attract the funding which will dictate the scope of the Elmswell Tavern project and to maintain the momentum of support which has enabled such impressive and heartening progress so far.”

The land behind the pub has been identified for affordable village homes while plans have been drawn up for the pub to create a dining, drinking and entertainment venue which will serve across the community and extend to neighbouring towns and villages.

Meanwhile, residents, businesses and friends of the village have been offered the chance to buy shares in the project.