Andrew Pern pub to close due to 'lack of support'

31-Oct-2022 - Last updated on 31-Oct-2022 at 15:21 GMT

Continuous battle: Andrew Pern's the Star Inn the Harbour pub in Whitby to close next month following lack of support from council

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Andrew Pern’s Michelin-listed Yorkshire pub the Star Inn the Harbour, will close its doors for good next month following “utter lack of support” from the local council in the aftermath of the pandemic.

The Whitby pub, which first opened in June 2017 and is part of the Star Group of restaurants, will permanently close on Saturday 12 November, with Pern, who is director of the venue alongside Mike Green, stating the greed and short-sightedness of Scarborough Borough Council was to blame.

He said: “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart we have decided to close the Star Inn the Harbour.

Sad truth

"We have let our hearts rule our heads for many months now; and this decision is totally and absolutely a business one that has come from a number of factors. We could hide behind the effects of the Covid pandemic, which have affected the hospitality industry as a whole across the UK over the past few years.

"But the sad truth is the single main reason we are closing is the almost utter lack of support we received from Scarborough Borough Council during Covid, just two months' Covid business support.

"The most damaging and miserable fact that marks their card is that they took rent from us and most other businesses in the town during lockdown when we didn't have a penny coming in - how greedy and short-sighted is that in a place which relies heavily on tourism and hospitality?”

Staff have been offered jobs across Star Groups portfolio of venues, including the Star Inn the City, York, and the Winter Hütte, York, which is due to open on Thursday 17 November, and number three on the Top 50 Gastropub’s list the Star at Harome, which is scheduled to reopened at the end of next month after being closed for a year to repair damage caused by a fire.

Closing a chapter

Pern said: "Mike and I would like to thank everyone who has supported us and all the fantastic staff who have done a brilliant job over the years, it has been a pleasure to work alongside them all.”

Additionally, Pern claimed the company had fought a “continuous battle” with the council, going back as far as 2016 when the site had started development, with problems continuing after the Star had opened.

He added: “It has been a continuous battle as all the positive factors that swayed us to be involved initially have never come to fruition. If anything, they have damaged our chances of survival rather than encouraged them.

“Coming into winter and with the council's decision to not help us in anyway, we will bring this Whitby chapter to a close for the time being."