The George and Dragon, Hudswell: Owners of Yorkshire community pub pledge to keep it open after tenants leave - but food service may be reduced

The George and Dragon in Hudswell, near Richmond, was plunged into uncertainty earlier this month following the decision of licensees Mark and Michelle Firby to leave the premises by August 31. The Firbys, who took on the lease in July 2022, said that price rises had made running the historic pub unsustainable.

The George and Dragon was saved from permanent closure in 2010, when a group of villagers managed to buy the building themselves. The 200 ‘shareholders’ have since leased it out, and also run a local shop.

The Hudswell Pub Company’s secretary, Martin Booth, has now revealed that members had funded renovations to the site earlier this year, but were unable to agree with the Firbys on how other financial relief could be offered.

The shareholders and volunteers from Hudswell will open the pub themselves until a new tenant is found.

Mr Booth said: “The Firbys have run the pub for just over a year, but what a year it has been for them and for many people in the hospitality sector. They have been faced with increases in the cost of energy, the cost of food and drink supplies, and at the same time our customers have been hit by the cost-of-living crisis.

"Throughout this year, Mark and Michelle and their staff team have worked tirelessly to keep the doors of the George and Dragon open, but the increasing costs they faced and the need to meet VAT repayments meant that felt unable to continue and they have handed in their resignation. We are extremely grateful to them for their hard work.

"Our tenants asked us for an extended rent holiday and requested that HCP pay some elements of the pub running costs that are their responsibility. The Board of HCP has co-operated with them over the last year to carry out extensive renovations to the kitchen and a remodelling of the bar and, whilst we were willing to assist them further, we could not reach agreement on the level of help and have therefore accepted their resignation.

"At our board meeting held on August 14 we decided to take on the management of the pub ourselves for a limited period of time. Therefore, apart from a few days’ handover

period, the George and Dragon will remain open run by the existing staff with the help of volunteers. We may not be able to offer food at the same level as in the past, but everyeffort will be made to maintain the service at its current levels.

"Whist we do this we will be searching for a new tenant to take on the running of the George and Dragon. We have already had several enquiries from people who are interested in the role, so we hope that it will not be too long before we are able to announce that a new tenant is running our community pub. We firmly believe that the George and Dragon, despite the current crisis, remains a viable business and we are looking for someone with imagination and drive to continue to develop our community pub. Anyone interested should contact [email protected].”