The Talbot - Pub of Christmas Future

An early (or late, depending on the way you want to look at it) Christmas present from Jamie at the Honor Oak, who's written to tell us that the future of the Talbot is brighter than many of us have feared:

"Apologies to everyone at Brockley Central for the lack of information over the last couple of months.

"I had another meeting today on site and we are very close now to commiting to the refit with a view to open in April/May. So, once again, as soon as everything is signed I will let you know. Happy Christmas and let's hope a great New Year for Brockley and, of course, The Talbot."

At a recent Christmas party, we got talking to a guy who runs a country pub owned by Enterprise Inns, a rival to Punch Taverns, which owns The Talbot. He said he does a roaring trade but, despite this, struggles to make a profit as the margins on beer are so low and the rent is so high. He agreed with the suggestion made by some on BC that, with the pressure on Pubcos to lower their charges at the moment, it might be sensible for the team to wait before commiting, particularly to a site which doesn't benefit from a lot of passing trade.

So hopefully the delays to this project have improved The Talbot's chances of prospering in the long-term.

Thanks to Jamie for keeping us all up-to-date.