Update on future of Slug & Lettuce Oxford amid UK closures

The national bar chain was initially founded in London in the 1980s and now has spots up and down the country.

Current owner Stonegate Group recently said it had been forced to make the difficult decision to close multiple branches.

This has seen Slug & Lettuce bars in Staines, Blackpool, Worcester, Sale and Bromsgrove all close this year.

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Oxford’s residents have been left to wonder whether their local will befall the same fate in the near future.

A member of the bar team at the city’s Slug & Lettuce told this newspaper this week that there are no plans to shut the branch.

“As far as I’m aware, no, we’re not closing,” they said.

“We’ve not been told anything. It’s fine, as realistically, it’s making money.”

The update comes amid the news that Stonegate Group, the largest pub company in the UK, is under investigation over the alleged ‘unfair’ treatment of landlords.

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An investigation by the Pubs Code Adjudicator alleges that the firm ‘unfairly’ treated landlords running over 3,000 of its venues.

In recent financial results, Stonegate recorded a revenue decrease of £128 million to £1.62 billion, resulting in an overall pre-tax loss of £174 million.

Landlords lease the properties in exchange for reduced rents and additional perks, but now Stonegate stands accused of failing to provide accurate information regarding necessary repairs, which could impact publicans’ business profitability.

Stonegate is also being investigated for potentially not calculating the correct rent to demand from publicans.

The conduct of Stonegate’s business development managers, responsible for communication between the company and its tenants, is also being examined over apprehensions of improper recording of interactions and possible unfair treatment of tenants.

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The PCA’s investigation will also determine if it received all necessary information from Stonegate on alleged breaches.

The company owns over 4,000 bars and clubs across the UK, including more than 3,000 tenanted and leased pubs and eight venues in Oxfordshire.

These include Zinc and Fever and the Dog & Gun in Banbury, as well as The Lamb Inn in Bicester, Broadways in Didcot and Thame’s Birdcage Inn.

Several managed brands, such as Walkabout and Be At One pubs, do not fall under the investigation.

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The probe could see the company fined up to 1 per cent of its annual revenue, equating to a maximum penalty of over £16 million, if found in breach of the pubs code.

Stonegate Group has also been contacted by this newspaper for comment on the future of Oxford’s Slug & Lettuce.

Previously speaking on the Worcester site’s closure earlier this month, a spokesperson said: “The hospitality sector continues to face significant challenges.

“After careful consideration, and despite our best efforts, the site is no longer commercially viable, and we have taken the difficult decision to close Slug & Lettuce, Worcester.”