It’s one of Manchester’s most iconic and beloved pubs, but The Briton’s Protection has announced that it’s facing an uncertain future after being handed a section 25 notice ending the current tenancy arrangements.
The building is owned by Heineken UK run Star Pub & Bars, who landlord Allan Hudd and owner Mark West say now want to take the pub into its own managed house portfolio once the current lease expires.
Like so many others, that move could prove disastrous for the historic Grade II listed building, likely posing a risk to the Briton’s Protection identity Mancunians know and love today.
Allan said: “The Britons Protection is what the great British pub is all about and if lost it will fall into the abyss of generic gastro pub whitewashing that has befallen so many others, seeing the offerings whittle down to minimal portfolio that would no longer be able to support the local breweries or offer such a vast selection of whisky as is commonplace just now.”
Since the news emerged, thousands have signed a petition demanding that the pub, and the work Allan and Mark have put in over the last ten years, be protected.
Brett Gregory of Serious Feather has also created a short documentary exploring why the pub is such an important fixture in the city, and what the developments mean for its future.
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Sat 9 Apr 2022
