Legal battle for heritage boozer

Pub operator is locked in courtroom fight with landlord in bid to save its old-fashioned status, writes Jenna Campbell

ON THE corner of Albion Street and Great Bridgewater Street sits a legendary boozer. One of the city’s oldest pubs, The Britons Protection is a long-running thread in Manchester’s historical tapestry.

It is one of three surviving city centre buildings to have stood near the site of the Peterloo Massacre and is said to have served as a refuge for the injured. The sign above the door, and a number of murals found inside the Tardis-like pub, depict scenes from the event.

It was also used as an army recruitment centre during the Napoleonic Wars, and a number of well-known individuals have passed over its threshold over the years – from political theorist Friedrich Engels, to Factory Records cofounder Anthony Wilson.

And then, of course, there’s the regulars. Their names may not be as familiar, but they are an integral part of the Grade II-listed building’s story. For some it has served as the backdrop for major life events, while for others it’s a corner of Manchester untouched by the sprawling changes taking place just beyond the front door.

But bosses at Britons now fear that its future is in jeopardy.

In a few months’ time – on June 17 – there is due to be a Manchester County Court hearing that could determine if they can still run the pub – and could also determine what drinks it will stock.

The pub’s landlord is Star Pubs, a subsidiary of Heineken. Since 2018, Britons has been run as a ‘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.