Fuller's Confirms that the Black Horse isn't Reopening

Announcement huge blow for campaign to save the pub

Ealing North MP James Murray (left) with other campaigners

January 11, 2023

Pub company Fuller, Smith & Turner (Fuller’s) has announced that it will not be reopening the Black Horse Pub in Greenford.

The move had been feared for a long time and a campaign had been launched to save the pub with the issue raised in the House of Commons by local MP James Murray.

The Black Horse’s web page has been updated with a statement saying that the pub is no longer viable and that the ‘difficult decision’ has been made to close. Former customers are encouraged to visit other Fuller’s pubs in the area.

The move came as a surprise to some who had dismissed local concerns about possible closure arguing that Fuller’s had such a strong balance sheet after selling its brewing business to Asahi that it had no need to close a pub on such an attractive site. The company had previously expressed surprise that a petition had been launched to save the pub saying that it only rarely sold sites and preferred to invest for the long term.

Fuller’s now says the pub was chronically loss-making and attempts to rejuvenate it had been unsuccessful. It is strongly speculated that the site will now be sold for a residential development although Fuller’s is initially marketing it with a specialist licensed leisure agency to sell it as a going concern.

A spokesperson for Fuller’s said, “Shutting pubs is not something that comes easy to us at Fuller’s – and we have closed very few over the years. But from time to time, we reach an impasse with a site that is just no longer viable as a business – and The Black Horse is a case in point.

“We have been running this pub since 1848 – although the site today bears little resemblance to the original pub. The area has continually changed, and despite some loyal, local support, The Black Horse remains loss-making and we have no alternative than to close it and put the pub on the market for sale.

“We are sorry to be disappointing the few regulars in the local community that do still use The Black Horse. We have tried to reinvigorate the site many times over the years – but we really have run out of road, and we have no alternative than to sell.”

James Murray MP said after hearing the announcement, "Like so many people in the local area, I was shocked to hear that Fuller’s had abruptly closed the Black Horse on 10 January. Although rumours about Fuller’s wanting to sell the pub have been going around for some time, it still came as a sudden blow.

"I contacted Fuller’s straightaway to make clear local people’s sadness and disappointment that the pub had been closed, particularly without any prior warning or explanation. I stressed to Fuller’s that, even though they want to sell the Black Horse, the building still has some protection for use as a pub, including through the ‘asset of community value’ listing that members of the local community and I secured last year.

"I understand from Fuller’s they plan to market the building for sale as a pub in the coming months. Of course, we do not know how all this will play out, but I and other members of the ‘Protect the Black Horse’ group are going to begin immediately by contacting other potential pub owners and do all we can to push for the Black Horse to be sold to a willing owner and reopen."

The listing of the venue as an Asset of Community Value does give it some protection against redevelopment but this may only delay its demolition and it is believed a community bid would struggle to meet the required price.