Pub group Antic enters administration with 13 sites up for sale
A pub group which operates 13 pubs across London has entered administration.
The group’s operation saw each site operating under an independent legal structure with their total number of pubs seeing a downward trend for some time.
They formerly operated the Woolwich Equitable which closed last year due to a rent dispute.
The GPO in Eltham changed hands while Sutton Radio in Lewisham shut up shop.
The GPO transfer to Portobello Brewery came as part of 14 sites exiting the Antic group.
Sites now possibly up for changing hands include the Elephant which should find a buyer given its location beside thousands of new homes – assuming rent demands are not too high.
Thousands of homes and shops are onw rising just over the road at the former shopping centre site.
This news may also be the final nail in the coffin of plans for a Woolwich pub at the western end of Powis Street.
Numerous plans have been and gone since a pub was first approved more than ten years ago.
It’s a long shot such a site would work anyway. Footfall is hardly the greatest down this end of town and if they can’t succeed in numerous other places what chance here?
At least until thousands of homes arrive closer to the site – and that’s still someway off. There’s Mortgramit Square towers, MacBean Street and the Waterfront to be redeveloped to name but three- yet none are yet underway.
Trading
The 13 pubs in administration include The Elephant and Castle, Dogstar (Brixton), Gremio de Brixton (Brixton), Balham Bowls Club (Balham), The Sun (Camberwell), East Dulwich Tavern (East Dulwich), Tooting Tram and Social (Tooting), Antelope (Tooting), Clapton Hart (Clapton), Hagen & Hyde (Balham), Graveney & Meadow (Tooting), Red Lion (Leytonstone) and Coopers (Crystal Palace).
They will continue to trade as a buyer is sought.
The former Jobcentre now named Jam Circus on Deptford High Street is not one of those listed.
UPDATE: Antic also sought to open a venue on Plumstead High Street named Bumble. Approved in late 2023 with some onerous conditions imposed by Greenwich Council (including no happy hours and a maximum of 40 non-diners in the evening) coupled with administration at 13 venues makes the Plumstead site ever opening a remote prospect.
Running a site alone takes time and a fair bit of money. Adverts are far from enough to cover it and my living costs as a private renter.
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The pub trade has been struggling for years. Increasingly high rents and business rates are largely to blame, but lockdown and drinking at home have also played their part in recent years.
Yep and pint prices often crazy now. I liked though that Antic did their own Volden beer at £3.50 a pint and many didn’t close stupidly early at 11pm but rather 1-2am on weekends.
I agree with anonymous 201486..
The cost of living crisis has also not helped the pub trade.
Let’s hope a buyer can be found for some if not all the pubs in the group.
The freehold of the The Volunteer on Powis St has been bought by the Urban Pubs & Bars group. Would love to know what is happening with the Equitable and ‘Bumble’ too!