Three historic pubs in Bedford Borough, all run by the same licensee, have been closed with immediate effect until new tenants are found.
The Five Bells in Cople shut its doors on 18 November, followed by Bedford town centre’s The Bear and The Barley Mow – the oldest LGBT pub in the UK.
All three pubs are owned by Admiral Taverns pubco and were run by Stuart Turtill of Big Cat Coma.
Until 2015, the hugely popular Bear was run by Paul Shilladay, at the time, Bedford’s longest-serving landlord. Mr Turtill took over The Bear and The Barley Mow in October 2019 after turbulent years under the previous license holder, Dan Fisher.
Read: ‘The Bear is well and truly back’: Legendary Bedford pub to reopen under new management
Regulars hoped that the unique qualities of The Bear and The Barley Mow would be retained under Big Cat Coma’s management.
However, Admiral Taverns have announced they are now seeking new licensees for The Bear and The Barley Mow. The Five Bells in Cople reopens tonight (Wednesday) under a new licensee.
A spokesperson at Admiral Taverns told the Bedford Independent: “At Admiral, we take great pride in running sustainable pubs and we oversee more than 1,600 across England, Scotland and Wales.
“The Five Bells, Barley Mow and The Bear are run by the same licensee, one of our multiple operators who heads up all three businesses.
“After careful consideration and discussions with the tenant, we have come to a mutual decision that it would be best for him to leave the businesses.
“We’re pleased that The Five Bells will be reopening tomorrow evening under a new licensee, and we are currently in the process of looking for new licensees to take over The Barley Mow and The Bear to ensure these pubs have a successful future within the community.
“Anyone interested should please get in touch on 01244 321 171.”
The Bedford Independent contacted Stuart Turtill at Big Cat Coma but he did not respond in time for our deadline.
