TV co-op gears up to buy leased pub

A year ago one Cumbrian pub was on the verge of closure, but following a TV intervention and a prestigious award, the local community is gearing up to buy it.

The Greyhound at Grizebeck was taken over by locals in January 2009, when it starred in UKTV Blighty show Save Our Boozer. Now locals are setting up a co-operative in order to buy the freehold, and have begun negotiations with the owners.

One year ago, a film company arranged a community meeting, to which 60 out of the 200 villagers turned up, and the end result was that the community agreed to run the pub on a leasehold basis.

Initially staffed by volunteers, the business now employs two chefs, a manager and five bar staff.

Vic Dunkley, a former licensee and now member of the steering committee, said the pub was taking just £300 a week when they took it over, but weekly turnover has now increased to £2,300. It peaked at £6,000 per week at the height of summer.

To top off its success, the pub has just been awarded Britain's Best Traditional Business by the Countryside Alliance, in a nationwide competition judged by an expert panel including celebrity chef Clarissa Dickson Wright.

Dunkley said that when they took over, the pub didn't stock real ale, but following negotiations with local breweries including Copper Dra-gon, Coniston and Ulverstone, it now sells a full range.

The food offer is traditional pub grub, priced from £2 to £9.95. This includes classics such as rump and rib-eye steak, gammon, Cumberland sausages and steak & ale pie.

Local ladies in the community are tasked with making desserts, which Dunkley described as "scrumptious".

The business also has six en-suite letting bedrooms.