New lease of life for Brighton pub

A 200-year-old pub has been saved by a Brighton brewery after the threat of permanent closure.
The Jury's Out, Edward StreetThe Jury's Out, Edward Street
The Jury's Out, Edward Street

Award-winning brewery Brighton Bier is hoping to open the ‘Brighton Bierhaus’ in Kemptown later this year, after taking on The Jury’s Out on Edward Street, which was recently put up for sale.

Ollie Fisher, co-director of Brighton Bier, said: “We could not see another pub of such importance close in Brighton and wanted to step in. We just couldn’t see a building with such potential go to waste and a pub with nearly 200 years of heritage be lost.”

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He said ‘pubs that were once the cornerstone of communities are slowly being lost’ as they are converted into houses and shops. According to closedpubs.co.uk around 900 pubs have closed in Sussex with more than 160 pubs closing their doors for good in Brighton and Hove.

Brighton Bier at the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival Awards 2016 (Photograph: Julia Claxton)Brighton Bier at the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival Awards 2016 (Photograph: Julia Claxton)
Brighton Bier at the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival Awards 2016 (Photograph: Julia Claxton)

The Grade-II listed pub opened as The Thurlow Arms in 1830, before it became known as The Jury’s Out. It was once one of around 27 pubs on the street.

Stephen Whitehurst, co-director of Brighton Bier, said: “We’ve always thought this ‘East Central’ part of the city has a huge amount to offer; the amount of investment and regeneration taking place in the area shows that others think the same.”

The brewery, which has teamed up with Brighton developers CopseMill Properties, has applied for planning permission to make renovations to the pub. This includes using the first and second floors as offices to ‘ensure the building’s long-term sustainability as a pub and business successfully operating over the entire building and thereby safeguarding its future’.

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The council’s target decision date for the planning application is January 9.

If the renovation plans are approved, The Brighton Bierhaus at Edward Street would be the brewery’s second premises in the city, with its current base to the east of the city in Roedean Road. The newly-renovated pub would sell ‘an extensive range of beers’ including those brewed by Brighton Bier.

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