Restaurateurs could be forced out of business after landlords increase rent by 90%

An award winning pub in the Thames Valley is at risk because the landlords have asked for a massive rent increase.

The Miller of Mansfield pub in Goring-on-Thames has been voted best restaurant and hotel in the region but the couple that run it said they might have to walk away, as the company that owns the building is raising the rent by 90%.

It's another blow, after the business managed to survive during the pandemic, which has forced many pubs and restaurants to close.

Nick Galer began his career as a chef working in the ski resorts in the French Alps. He then brought his love for french cuisine back to the UK and set up his own business.

He took on the pub 8 years ago and in that time, totally transformed it from a local pub into somewhere that's won numerous awards, from best restaurant, best independent hotel and accolades from the Good Food Guide.

Nick and his wife Mary are hugely proud of the reputation they have built for fine dining, not just locally but across the region.

Mary said: "We like to think it's a home-from-home and like to think we're less formal than some places offering the same standard. But, from the moment they walk in the door, hopefully they get a level of service that you wouldn't get in your everyday pub." Nick said: "I suppose some people would see us as a dining pub. We are pitched a little bit above the average pub in terms of spend and quality and care for the product. We've received awards."

"To this date we have only received one offer. We have gone back a number of times to try and counter with something not quite so severe. Then late November, early December, we were told that actually, we weren't going to be in agreement and that the landlords were prepared to operate it themselves."

Nick & Mary Galer, The Miller of Mansfield:

Rents for pubs are set according to turnover and since the pandemic, profits are down, so you could be forgiven for expecting that rents would be reduced. However, this isn't what's happening across the industry.

Dave Mountford, Forum of British Pubs, said: "What has happened is their owners of the businesses, whether they be pub-owning businesses or breweries, have gone into the pubs and said we want to put your rents up by 30-40 per cent and in one notable case by £65,000 a year. That's been done, primarily, in a desperate attempt to keep rental levels high throughout the industry."

The lease on the Miller expires next week. The landlords, Stonegate, said they plan to manage the pub and restaurant themselves.

A spokesperson said: "The lease agreement on the Miller of Mansfield is due to expire and the property will be transitioning to our managed division. We remain in constant dialogue with the leaseholder regarding this transition and will continue to engage in order to enable the necessary direct conversations to take place with the team on site, including both Nick and Mary."

"Our focus will be on ensuring that the pub is able to continue providing the excellent levels of service to customers and community alike."

Nick and Mary have just a few days to decide if they stay or if they walk away from the business they have built.