The Merchant of Cotham will open on Cotham Hill later this week, replacing the group’s existing Brewhouse & Kitchen site with a less branded, locally rooted concept.
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The pub, which will retain its on site brewery, is inspired by Bristol’s merchant heritage and the story of the Crocker brothers, local wine and spirit merchants linked to the site’s history.
Chief executive Kris Gumbrell told The Morning Advertiser (MA) the site would act as a test for a more “hyper independent” approach.
He said: “We want to really build something that’s much more relevant to its local market, so that’s about engaging with local suppliers, bakers, coffee roasters, some local wines, and also working closely with some more local breweries on exchange of beers, collaboration brews, things like that.”
The site will work with local producers including Bristol Beer Factory, Left Handed Giant, Lost & Grounded, Wiper & True, On Point Brew Co and Bristol Distilling Co, alongside food suppliers Ruby & White, Hobbs House Bakery and Marshfield Farm.
Experience focus
Gumbrell said consumer expectations had shifted towards localisation, premiumisation and more experience led visits.
He added: “People either want really strict, strong value for money offerings, or they want something that is highly experiential, where they get something special and unique. It does appear to us that our competitors who sit in that flat middle area, being fairly bland pubs, are struggling.”
The move follows wider market trends, with operators investing more heavily in experience, local relevance and clearer reasons to visit beyond standard food and drink occasions.
Gumbrell said Brewhouse & Kitchen would continue to lean into brewing as part of that differentiation, with beer experience days and masterclasses seeing strong growth.
He said the group had learned lessons from previous sites where brewing had been removed or switched off.
“I think we have missed it in one or two cases where we took brewing out or turned the brewing off,” he said. “The brewing just gives you that edge.”
Estate plans
The Merchant of Cotham launch comes after reports that Brewhouse & Kitchen planned to dispose of sites no longer fitting its model after losses widened in its latest accounts.
Gumbrell said the group had one further disposal planned, but would otherwise focus on its existing estate.
He said: “We’ve got one more disposal, which I can’t really talk about at the moment, and then we’re just going to hunker down and focus on the estate that we’ve got.
“At the moment, there are an awful lot of pubs on the market. I’d like to see more from central government. They’ve taken so much from us. We were all assured several weeks ago that the cavalry was coming. Well, let’s see when the cavalry appear over the hill.”
Gumbrell said the group would assess the performance of the Merchant of Cotham before deciding whether to roll the model out elsewhere.
He added: “If it works, we’ve got a number of sites that we could gravitate this towards as well.
“You’ve got to be able to flex in the moment. Just because something worked one, two, three, four, five or 10 years ago, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s still relevant.”
