We’re off again with the basement of Watergate House. This will be our third attempt (third time lucky) with working out what to do with this charming grade II listed space, a special property in a special part of Chester. As a young man I used to visit the area often, Stanley Palace for ESU gatherings, the race course, friends who had shabby rooms in one of those big Georgian houses, the Queen’s School, Jon Mathias at Tollit and Stockton and John Heath at Walker Smith and Way, the tax office and DVLC, now a hotel. I used to enjoy walking around the walls and always considered the Roodee stretch the best. I like the area, I feel comfortable there, it’s the sort of commercial sector of Chester, somewhere only locals go.
So when this basement came available, Dave Shaw from Big Hand was selling it, my interest piqued and we did a deal. When I got my hands on it I improved the already beautiful space and opened a pub. It didn’t do as well as I’d have liked but managed £700k per annum, not a shabby turnover and was growing steadily. The problem was it was not making money, it had a very expensive operation. A full, home produced menu and a full brigade of chefs. It was a bit of a Jerry Brunning country pub but jammed into a city centre basement. It was my fault, I was just not thinking straight, the penalty for which was a cost of £10k every month to keep it open. I closed it and licked my wounds. So then I decided to sell it but no one was interested, so then I decided to sub-let. I found someone but tragically that didn’t work out either. So now I’m having a go again but this time I’m taking a completely different tack. Let me explain.
When I founded Pubs Limited (later Brunning and Price) in February 1981 I was 24 and a lithe, flexible red head, full of ideas and energy. Now, 45 years later, I’m a podgy, stiff, white haired old grump. I’m still full of ideas but the energy levels have tanked. It’s difficult to know how many of those ideas are in tune with modern cultural life. I certainly read a lot more than I did so I have more insight than I used to but I don’t go out as much and my friends are mostly old too. Perhaps pertinent is that I don’t like or use any social media except YouTube and WhatsApp and then only for reference and simple communication. I don’t know whether this helps or hinders, maybe this gives me clearer insights - no influence from the herd.
Either way not only am I a different person to my young self but the world is a different place too. A 24 year old today would not recognise the world I knew when I was 24 and might even have difficulty navigating it. Today’s planet is smaller, everyone’s been everywhere, communication is instant, you can have entertainment from movies to games on demand and everything materially you might need in life can be delivered to your door, sometimes on the same day. Perhaps the only thing people can’t order is face to face time. People, especially young people, still want and need to meet in person.
In my youth if we wanted to talk we had to meet up and pubs were ideal and so they were important to me and to my cohorts. But do pubs have the same role they had 45 years ago? I always tell my team that people are fundamentally the same. We are a species that likes to socialise, we like to be together, we like to talk. If we can make a good place for people to meet, share food and drink and be served by lovely people I feel it will always have a place and purpose in our society. There are tricks to getting those three things, place, offering (horrible word) and service right and I think I can still bring wisdom to the thinking.
I suspect you are probably getting a glimpse of my dilemma now. Leaving an old codger like me to establish a pitch for a new pub could be dangerous, it needs young eyes to see what’s right and wrong.
That’s why I’ve decided to give this site to two of my youngest and brightest employees Ethan Evans and Lillian Gorman who have both just turned 22. Naturally they’re a bit nervous but already they have made some big decisions in steering it towards being more of a drinking venue less of the gourmet operation I was running. More 22ish than 70ish. They’ve changed the name to Basement 85 (in the basement of 85 Watergate Street) and designed themselves a new logo. They’ll have no cask beer (gasp) but lots of cocktails and craft beers instead. Simple small plate food replaces my incredibly expensive kitchen brigade, so no chefs. There will be late night opening. They are cosying it down even more than it was raiding our furniture store and testing out this and that. I’m still good with making spaces comfortable so I’ve been able to help a bit. All great stuff and they’re keen as horseradish. We’re still holding hands as we steer our way through things but I can see already that they’ll soon be riding free with no stabilisers.
I have to say that I don’t find it all that difficult to let go. I’ve always been a great delegator and I’ve always understood that I’m no great shakes. Everyone has ideas and everyone can contribute, they just need to be allowed to. Lindsay Cox, the Operations Director, effectively runs the day to day operations and just keeps me up to date with what’s happening. Even she, who’s a real detail girl, is easing off as time passes. Pubs are very personal things and the Landlords of each pub needs to be in charge and needs to be allowed to do their own thing as long as standards are maintained, people are treated with respect and they support and subscribe to the honest integrity that our business requires. That’s my real job, keeping that business culture and stopping people from doing things that are obviously wrong.
JB Feb 2026.