Painful lessons to be learned from the fate of old School House Inn

This village hostelry between Malton and Pickering closed its doors towards the end of 2009 and it hasn’t reopened. But it could become Yorkshire’s first “micro-pub” if Ryedale Council approves the latest application from the owners after a field visit next week.

Low Marishes is a hamlet of seven dwellings, several farms and country houses within a two-mile radius. Some villagers want the pub back as it used to be.

But Matt and Sarah Richardson, who bought the School House Inn in 2007, say it’s no longer viable.

The pub is off the beaten track and within its catchment area it does not have what business analysts call critical mass, or in other words, not enough locals.

Matt and Sarah arrived from Goole five years ago. Matt had run two restaurants in Wakefield and Huddersfield working 18 hours a day.

He rebuts the allegation from some critics that they purchased the property with a view to closing the pub and developing the site.

“I go to work in chef’s clothes not a hard hat,” says Matt. “When we first came here we had a good year. We got to know everyone and we did everything we could to make it work. We tried themed nights, special events, running a village shop and delicatessen. We did what we could. But it just wasn’t viable when the recession came the following year.

“When we first came here we were told that Thursday night was the farmers’ night.

“When we ran them, we only ever had between seven and ten farmers. They all had a quick drink and went home.

“Sarah and I both now have jobs elsewhere, but we work in North Yorkshire and want to stay local. We’re not going anywhere. We’ve done nothing wrong, other than close the pub. There has been a lot of misinformation and we are now stumped as to what the villagers want us to do.

“We live in a flat above. Under the new plans, in the same space the pub takes up, we would have a three-bedroom property in the form of a normal house to the left hand side of the building.

“There would be a micro pub next door with sufficient room for 55-60 people. We are trying to keep everyone happy.”

Matt and Sarah’s original planning application to change the pub into two dwellings was refused, which led to the micro-pub compromise. Micro pubs seem to be the coming thing. One that opened successfully in a former butcher’s shop in the village of Herne in Kent has no music, no lager, no jukeboxes, fruit machines or “gastropub” food. Called the Butcher’s Arms it has won awards from the Campaign for Real Ale and others have since taken up the idea

Matt envisages his micro pub would be roughly the size of the Royal Oak in Malton, where some of his locals already drink.

The pub was built in 1891 and was formerly known as the Stapleton Arms. “We were asked to prove that the pub was not financially viable in the format we had bought it by putting it on the market and gauging interest,” adds Matt.

“It was available for over a year and there was no interest at all until the week prior to the next planning meeting.”

David Beal, the parish meeting chairman and clerk, is also a local farmer and has lived in Marishes all his life.

“In my position I try to give a balanced view,” he says. “We feel that this offer of a small pub is just ticking the boxes to pacify us. When Matt and Sarah came here they were a lovely young couple running a nice country pub with a family on the way. They must have been working 20 hours a day to keep it going and it must have been a terrible strain.

“The previous lady who ran it had turned it into an upper-end dining pub and I understand it did an excellent trade. Fifteen years ago there was planning granted for eight letting rooms using the outbuildings. So it has potential.

‘It is obvious that it needs to attract outsiders to make it work. Even if 50 per cent of the locals were alcoholics our business would still fall way short of what would be needed to make it a going concern on drink sales alone.

“The resident who put in a bid to purchase the whole building did so because we were frightened that we were going to lose the pub completely. There were accusations of his offer not being genuine and the whole affair has left a bad taste.

“It’s now turned into a horrible situation and there is a feeling that Matt and Sarah have isolated themselves.”

Janet Hunter, who lives opposite the pub. says, “It would be nice to have it as a micro-pub. I chat with Matt and Sarah and it has not been a good time for them. I just think they are a bit fed up with all the hassle.

“I can see there are faults and flaws on both sides and there is quite a lot of animosity towards them. It would be good if everyone could put all that aside and get on. I’ve no money to be able to put anything into a community or micro pub. But I’d be very willing to lend a hand painting walls and give up a night to help.”

How micros are multiplying

Changes to the Licensing Act of 2003 made it easier for newcomers to the industry to start a pub and to choose the opening hours that suit them.

The micro selling point is: a basic local pub for local people.

The Butchers Arms in Kent cost £2,000 to set up.

Three friends from Newark in Nottinghamshire followed that lead with their own micro pub called Just Beer. It cost £30,000 to get started.