Pub managers speak out after eviction from Tenbury tavern

In a statement released to Facebook, Tenbury’s Market Tavern managers Greg Williams and Jayne Davis announced their shock eviction.

“It is with sadness that we have to announce that black country ales area manager, Daniel Richards chosen to evict us by the end of the month,” they wrote.

Mr Williams told the Tenbury Wells Advertiser that the eviction had left him and Ms Davies devastated.  

"We had a really good following," he said.

From their charity work to their community pub nights, he described the tavern as more of a “community building” than just a public house.

The pair took up the reins at the pub early in 2023, after it was refurbished and reopened in 2022. 

It was the only pub in the town to be name in the 2024 CAMRA Good Beer Guide, which Mr Williams and Ms Davies put down to their selection of beers.

The Tenbury pub was more than just a pub in its community (Image: Rob Davies)

Mr Williams said the pub had been "down 15 per cent" in takings in the past, but that these losses were most likely amassed as they were forced to follow the national trend of increasing prices. 

Mr Williams said the losses were soon made up for with a significant increase in profits, and the pub was fully on track when they received confirmation of their eviction.

A spokesperson for pub company Black Country Ales, which owns the pub, said the company values customer opinions, but can sometimes make decisions that can seem wrong or unfair from a customer's viewpoint.

"The decision to make a change of management at the Market Tavern was not taken lightly," the spokesperson said, "but I can assure you that there is valid reasoning behind it.

"In this case, for reasons I can’t discuss publicly, it was deemed a change was necessary."

Mr Williams and Ms Davies concluded their Facebook announcement with a grateful wish for all of their loyal customers: “I hope our paths will cross again during our next adventure.”