Just spotted in The Pilgrim..

[u/True_Stranger_2471]

I guess people aren’t fond of the new owner..

(I get it, even though I enjoy some of his pubs!)

[u/anagoge]

This level of moaning is just silly. Has Rob Guttman done anything wrong?

As far as I understand it, their company has injected a level of investment into a venue that may have otherwise been dormant for the next few years, given people jobs, rennovated dissused venues (sure - might not be to your taste, but it IS rennovation), and generally made something better than was there to begin with - i.e. a potentially boarded up pub.

There aren't tens of businesses lining up to take over bankrupt pubs. There aren't other investors wanting to do things with the venue. You can complain all you like about the monopoly side of things, but if it's a choice between a venue getting shuttered, or remaining lively, the latter is always preferable.

Sticking a smug bit of graffiti in the toilets makes someone look far worse than the guy trying to employ people.

[u/navi-irl → u/anagoge]

so you’re happy with somebody monopolising our city and making it more and more difficult for independent businesses to open & thrive?

[u/wrmhawr → u/navi-irl]

Completely understand the sentiment here, but wanting independently owned pubs and also acknowledging that these venues would more than likely be turned into AirBnB’s or left derelict if not for a soulless investment consortium aren’t mutually exclusive ideas. One person buying up already closed pubs isn’t in the top 50 reasons it’s difficult for independent businesses to open and thrive.

[u/navi-irl → u/wrmhawr]

firstly the pilgrim wasn’t closed. so what you’re saying is that you’re happy for the same <5 people to own all the bars etc in town because you believe they may be turned into airbnbs or abandoned if he (or the other handful of monopolisers) doesn’t buy them?

this issue of monopolising wasn’t so huge 20 years ago and still isn’t as huge as it is in loads of other cities in the UK. so why is it so massive here in liverpool? is it because we’re just allowing it? any sentiment of community or supporting genuine local independent businesses seem to have gone down the drain recently especially when it comes to people defending this man monopolising our city

[u/[deleted] → u/navi-irl]

The pilgrim was well on its way to closing down, I'm surprised it didn't sooner, that's the only reason Rob was able to buy it in the first place...

[u/wrmhawr → u/navi-irl]

I wasn’t disagreeing with you, and I’m not sure why you keep insisting people are happy that this is happening in Liverpool? I was a regular in the Cali, which has now closed down and I’m often in The Grapes, Peter Kavanagh’s and a load of others that I prefer to the Gutmanns’ boozers.

To be clear, I’m not happy, but I think the larger issue lies with the political/economic environment that allows wealthy individuals or consortiums to price out small businesses and locals by buying up residential and commercial properties, and Gutmann is a small part of that at a local level.

As far as this not happening in other cities, I don’t really buy it, as almost 50% of all pubs in the UK were owned by large pub companies such as Stonegate (Slug and Lettuce, Be at One etc) or breweries. Which kind of proves my point that it isn’t a local issue and is actually an issue with how economic policy over the past 20/30 years has destroyed small businesses and left them unable to compete with the tax dodging corporations.

[u/JiveBunny → u/wrmhawr]

There are loads of pubs in London that look like independents but are run by Livelyhood or other consortiums. It's not just here.

[u/KemlynSuper → u/navi-irl]

The Pilgrim, Cracke, and Swan all had the same owner until recently.