BUSINESS PLAN SUMMARY

Business description

The Fishers Arms is a small rural pub in Horncliffe village, Northumberland. The pub closed in October 2021. Listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) the pub was purchased and refurbished by a community buyout. It reopened as a pub and restaurant in December 2023. The business plan was the guiding document for the buyout project, reflecting the outcomes the community wanted once the building was saved and returned to the heart of the village as a community hub.

Business objective

To purchase and refurbish the pub
To trade as a pub with food sales and to provide two bed & breakfast rooms
To provide local employment opportunities
To become a community hub providing community events and serving the needs of the community
To use local suppliers
To reduce the carbon footprint of the building

Project outcomes

The pub was purchased in July 2022 and was fully refurbished by April 2024.
The Community Benefit Society signed a five-year lease with the current tenants in March 2024. The business is trading as a pub and restaurant.
Two full time jobs have been generated.
Diverse events have taken place in the pub since it re-opened including local clubs meeting, quiz nights, music nights. The pub has become a meeting place for friends and neighbours to meet and socialise.
Beer and food are sourced from local suppliers.
The pub has been fitted with solar panels and batteries and with additional insulation throughout. The insulation is estimated to reduce the carbon footprint of the building, by about 1000kg Co2 annually. The solar panels are expected to generate 6766KWh giving an annual reduction of 2 to 2.5 tonnes of CO2.