National Trust Pub

I am interested to learn that The National Trust (NT) has undertaken the management of its very first public bar, the Sticklebarn Tavern, Great Langdale, Cumbria.

The tavern was acquired by the NT in March, 2012. Its employees have officially been working for the charity since the property changed hands, making it the first time the Trust has owned and administered a public house.

While sixty other public houses are owned by the NT – including six other pubs and hotels in Cumbria – they are all tenanted.

Suzanne Elsworth of the NT explained:

“The National Trust has already got quite a strong presence in the area. When we heard that the pub was coming on the market, we just thought it was a great opportunity. It helps our visitors understand what we do here – and every pint that’s pulled, the profits go back to be invested in this landscape.”

The National Trust – which has more than four million members nationally – already owns several farms, car parks, a hotel and a campsite in Great Langdale, an area that is popular with hikers, climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

A new menu at the pub was introduced on the 22nd June, with the aim being to source as much food as possible from the Langdale Valley and Cumbria, while the majority of the beers on tap come from Cumbrian breweries.

There are also plans for the pub to generate its own electricity with a mini hydro power scheme, and National Trust managers have outlined a vision to make the Sticklebarn “the most sustainable pub in Britain”.

Perhaps the NT should consider a similar enterprise with regard to some of its tenanted or leased establishments in Northern Ireland.