9 February 2010
18:0340113Now closed
I just heard today that the Yew Tree at Barfreston has closed and looking on their web-site apparently it is true.
This sounds like bad news as I have eaten there a few times over the last few years. Excellent food, decor, service and what I thought was a fine example as how to run a successful country pub. It always seemed fairly busy too and was listed in both the Good Food Guide and the Good Beer Guide.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
9 February 2010
18:5240123Quite surprised to hear that Bob..was over there a couple of months ago and they couldnt fit us in as it was booked out. It was on a sunday..although we did have lunch in the end in the little room next to the kitchen. One of the reasons I went there was we saw it for the first time when we went to see the ancient church next door a month or two earlier...we then returned to try it when we realised it was an award winner. Very fresh 'real' food too.
Gosh if a pub like that cant make it then pubs generally are in big trouble.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
9 February 2010
19:2140126i had heard that it was very good wonder how many people dined there during the week?
sadly the country pub has had its day now, how many people that live in villages just use them to sleep in?
very few take an interest in the local pub, shop or village hall.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
10 February 2010
07:5640171Yes thats the problem I would suspect Howard..probably empty all week or near as dammit! but with a flourish at the weekend. The problem here is that its quite a relatively remote pub, so little passing casual trade. Very few guys would go out for a pint there, as very few guys live around it. So as a result their trade would be, I would guess, as a direct result of their marketing/advertising campaigns. An advert in the local paper telling me it was an award winner and included in the Good Food Guide interested me and sucked me in, as always its good to have a place of good food guide standard on our doorstep.
The Leisure industry is currently being badly hit..notable names are falling by the wayside. The High and Dry, The Churchill, The Yew Tree...will there be more?
These closures have nothing to do with a smoking ban either.
Guest 684- Registered: 26 Feb 2009
- Posts: 635
10 February 2010
15:5140190Blimey...that's a real shock. A great pub with a stellar reputation for superb food and good beers, in an idyllic setting next to that lovely old church.
Very sad news, and seriously worrying for the wider country pub trade if a pub like that can't survive.
Let's hope it bounces back - it has before.
Andy
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
10 February 2010
19:0840218i bet a hundred or so years ago that the church and pub were packed solid with farm workers and anyone that lived off of the land.
i dont share andrews confidence that this sort of pub(however well run) can bounce back.
in some rural communities people are clubbing together to buy their local in order to keep it going.
10 February 2010
19:4140222I was talking his afternoon to someone who operates a successful pub in the Dover District.
The finances behind the pub trade are absolutely frightening and heavily stacked against success.
The only way forward is to own the freehold whereupon one might get a reasonable return against investment.
A tied pub is going to cost C.£50,000 to the brewery p.a., this means you need about £1000 a week, after outgoings just to break even. Allegedly this saw off the Yew Tree.
I was especially worried to discover the financial state of various pubs which are owned by a 'local brewery'.
Guest 663- Registered: 20 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,136
10 February 2010
19:5840225Was also surprised to hear that the Yew Tree had closed had only ever been there for the first time a couple months ago could not sit in main dining area, but have too say it was good Fresh cooked food with good service,Quiet offen take a ride out sundays and it seems a shame all the good country pubs are closeing.
Sadly I guess thats the way its going.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
11 February 2010
21:2540377The First and Last pub in East Cliff closed at the end of January and is now open again under new management.
The last owners tried hard, I wish the new guy success, but it is an uphill struggle.
Being right under the White Cliffs, it should be a favourite with overseas visitors.
Roger
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
12 February 2010
08:3240388Im surprised to see that someone is giving The First and Last Pub another go. I would imagine that the building would do better being reworked into a private home in all honesty..at this juncture anyway. The place has a tiny catchment area and despite wishings and hopings is not going to attract in any serious passing travel trade as they whizz by to Europe.
Under several managements ago, when they did food, their kitchen was closed down by the DDC on a hygene issue. My feeling is they never fully recovered from the bad publicity that generated. This kind of publicity lingers in the public mind even though the issue was dealth with in time.
Perhaps the new management have a good plan to re-establish it...but its a tall order now.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
12 February 2010
09:4840389Years ago when I was a drinking man the first and last was a great pub.
But I think it will not get the public in there in numbers to make a go of it today,so I think the same way as Paul on this one,but I wish the new management well but it will be uphill all the way.
