Beloved Manchester pub Britons Protection is to hold a 'peaceful public rally' to raise awareness of its legal battle with brewing giant Heineken.
Since 2018, Britons has been run as an 'Market Rent Only' pub, which means it isn't tied to Heineken products, but must buy a certain amount of keg beer from the brewing company. But, in 2022, as the current lease was coming to an end, Star Pubs - a subsidiary of Heineken - did not renew landlord Allan Hudd's lease.
As the court date nears, the team at Britons have been busy drumming up support. Issuing a call-out on social media in recent days, they have urged customers and 'anybody who may have visited the Britons Protection' to join them as part of the rally. They wrote: "Stand with us on May 1st, we are taking the fight to Heineken.
In a update issued by the branch, it added that Allan has reinforced the pub's status as a point of community focus by applying successfully to list the Britons Protection as an Asset of Community Value with Manchester City Council approving the application in 2022. As it noted, the pub has long been a meeting point for community groups including Manchester Civic Society, Manchester Whiskey Society, Peterloo Memorial Campaign and Veterans, and the Central Manchester Branch of CAMRA.