The evolving role played by tenanted and leased pubs in UK communities, the impact of Brexit and what it’s like running a small business in Ely were all on the menu when MP Lucy Frazer visited one of her locals on Friday.
Greene King Pub Partners invited Mrs Frazer to visit The Royal Standard, in Fore Hill, which is run by Mike Connelly and his partner Jeanene, to find out more about the benefits of running a tenanted or leased pub. The couple also run another Greene King pub the Prince Albert in Fore Street.
The popular pub is owned by Greene King but has been run independently by Mike since 2013.
The pub is in the process of an exciting development to bring extra accommodation to Ely with the building of five guest rooms, a project that has been funded by Mike and Greene King.
With its excellent local reputation, The Royal Standard was the ideal location for Mrs Frazer to meet Darren King and Julie Jolly from the Greene King Pub Partners senior executive team to discuss the leased and tenanted industry and the benefits it brings to pub landlords across the country.
“It was great to meet Lucy and she was really interested to speak with Mike about what it was like running a pub today, as well as hearing about the role Greene King plays in the community,” said Darren.
“She was very knowledgeable on the tenanted and leased model of running a pub and she was keen to speak with Mike about how the Greene King model worked for him.”
Julie added: “It was an extremely productive meeting and we’re very grateful she could spare the time to come along. We were keen to share the fantastic work carried out by Mike at The Royal Standard – a well-loved pub in her constituency.
“We are pleased to share the benefits of this model of running a pub, particularly as it can be more affordable than a freehold and also working in partnership with Greene King can bring a lot of additional support.”
After the visit, Mike said: “It was extremely useful to have a chance to speak with our local MP. She was really interested and listened closely to everything I said. She was obviously interested in the Brexit side of things and also the relationship I have with Greene King and how the leased and tenanted model worked for me.”
Speaking of the addition of guest accommodation, which should be completed in the New Year, Mike added: “It’s massively exciting. I first started thinking about this project four years ago so it’s great to have it nearly ready. We’re really looking forward to it being open and generating some more business as at this stage there is a shortage of rooms in Ely.”
Following her visit, Mrs Frazer said: “Pubs play a very important part in UK communities and are a vital part of the UK economy. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to spend time with Mike talking about the state of the pub industry, best models of practice and what the future holds. It is great to have such superb pubs like The Royal Standard in our area.”