In late November, pub and brew­ing company Marston’s, sold 202 pubs to New River Retail. It is feared that New River will convert the pubs into stores. New River Retail is a specialist real estate investment trust (REIT) focussed on the UK food and value retail sector.Mike Benner, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale, said “This pub sell-off is bad news for communities which may lose their pubs as a result. New River Retail have seriously underestimated the challenges and opposition that they will face in trying to sell profitable community pubs and convert them into convenience stores and other uses.”

Stonegate Pub Company has taken over 78 pubs from the administrators of the Bramwell Pub Company. Locally, these include the Bessemer (Leopold Street) and The Graduate (Surrey Street). Stonegate have 623 outlets across the UK, including: The Beehive (West Street), The Globe (Howard Street), The Cavendish (West Street) and Yates’s (Cambridge Street). They have a turnover of some £570M and are second behind JD Wetherspoon in the high-street sector.Also, with mention of the Cavendish on West Street, this pub will temporarily close in January for refurbishment.