Save the Berney Arms

Aim

The Berney Arms is a beautiful pub on the Norfolk Broads between Reedham and Great Yarmouth. We want to keep this community hub alive.

This is the most remote pub in Norfolk and we want to save it

The pub closed in October 2015 and has been missed greatly by the community and passing tourists since then. The interest generated already in this campaign has led us to apply for the pub to become an asset of community value.

It seems a waste to let this Broadland pub be sold on only to be knocked down or converted so we are on a mission to buy it, give it a little spruce up and reopen it for Summer 2017. While much of the funds needed will be raised through community shares, we’re also opening this up to other people who want to be part of this exciting project, help the local community and join us for a few beers when we open.

Whether you have £15 to pledge or £1,000, you’ll be part of something very exciting that’s happening in Norfolk.

Our vision

The pub has a number of unique selling points that made us fall in love with it. It’s very remote and is the only pub in the UK not served by public roads but it's actually still very easy to get to as it has its own train station just 10 minutes walk away across the fields. It's also easily accessible by water with plenty of pub-side mooring and it’s just a five mile walk from Reedham to the south west, and five miles to Great Yarmouth to the east.

Accommodation

The rural riverside location is what makes the Berney Arms special but because it's so remote we understand the need for people to be able to stay over. We’ll have on-site wooden lodges and plan to add glamping facilities too. Just imagine how the stars will look with nothing around for miles.

Food

The kitchen needs refitting but once that work is complete we aim to offer delicious pub food made from the best local ingredients. Until that happens we'll be offering gourmet bar snacks and may even invite food trucks to come down for special events.

Drink

Our focus will be on local ales but you'll still be able to find all your favourite beer, spirit and soft drink brands too. We're keen to promote the work of locals and plan to team up with producers from all over Norfolk to offer special deals, rare brews and more.

Events

We're looking into the possibility of regular events for walkers, train enthusiasts, river adventurers, local ale lovers, foodies and music fans. 

What is the money for?

This money will go towards buying the pub. £30,000, of course, is not enough to buy it outright but that money along with community shares and matchfunding will ensure the Berney Arms lives on! 

The auction is at the end of July. If we have an excess of cash once the pub has been purchased, that money will go towards clearing the place out, refurbishing the kitchen and sprucing up the lodges ready for guests.

The area

The pub is situated in the Norfolk Broads on the River Yare between Reedham and Great Yarmouth on the River Yare. It's closest neighbours are the RSPB site of Breydon Water and, across the river, the striking Burgh Castle. The beautiful Berney Arms mill, which holds the title of tallest windmill in the UK, is just next door too

Birdwatchers, you can expect to see oystercatchers, golden plovers, redshanks, widgeon and perhaps even a pink-footed goose or two.

Pop in for a drink and bite to eat while out for a walk, or make a day of it and get the train in from Great Yarmouth or Norwich on the Wherry Line. It only takes about 25 minutes!

Walkers, pull on those hiking boots and take in some of Weavers Way. Look out for the mill, follow the signs and you'll find the pub and its beautiful vistas out across the water and beyond.

Cyclists, get some fresh air then refuel with some food and a drink by the waterside. 

The launch party

At this stage we don't know when the launch party will take place but if your pledge includes an invitation we promise you won't be disappointed. Imagine turning up to the pub on a warm summer day, the smell of food wafting through the air and the buzz of people transforming the countryside. Sit and have a beer by the water and watch as guests turn up on foot, by train and by boat.

Music (played at respectable levels so as not to disturb our feathered neighbours) will carry you through into the evening alongside the celebratory atmosphere that can only come from a group of people who have helped save the life of a riverside treasure.

Who are we?

We are a group of ale lovers, Norfolk locals, community champions, business people. We want to see a unique pub in the heart of the Norfolk countryside continue to serve the local area.

The Board of Directors for the Save the Berney Arms co-operative includes:

Lucy Cousins

Lucy has lived in Norfolk for most of her life and currently lives in Norwich. She has a BA (Hons) in Hospitality Management from Birmingham City University and has many years experience working in a range of roles in hotels, bars, restaurants and holiday resorts.

She is an experienced marketing and communications practitioner, working for Aviva for 10 years. Lucy has extensive event management and project management experience. She is also part of Norfolk Roller Derby and has organised matches and events for the club.

Jess Shanahan 

Jess Shanahan has lived in Norfolk all her life and is the director of PR agency Jet Social. She is also a journalist and contributes to a range of local and national publications on the subjects of business, travel and motoring. She is the editor of Love Norfolk and a number of other websites.

Jess has a wealth of experience in marketing, particularly in PR and has contacts at publications that would help to promote the pub in this initial fundraising stages and beyond.

Rob Whitmore

Rob is from Norfolk and has lived in Hethersett for the past 20 years and is an enthusiastic pub campaigner. He is the branch secretary of CAMRA's Norwich and Norfolk branch and is currently organising CAMRA's 2017 National Winter Ale Festival. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the hospitality sector, including bar management and pub/restaurant supply chain, and is a personal license holder. Rob is an experienced project manager and business analyst and is director of pub procurement business, PubPal

Steve Lepper

Steve has lived in Norwich for 25 years. After a successful career in education, he spent the last fifteen years as a programme analyst and 'trouble-shooter' leading on high value projects in both the public and private sectors. Steve brings a wealth of experience in activities as diverse as managing Internet companies, teacher training and new school building projects. He is currently working on a project to bring the UK's first 'micro-Tofurei' to Norwich.

With a strong interest in heritage projects, he is a Norwich ambassador and worked with pioneering Norwich HEART as an education consultant, including helping to launch the City's inaugural 'Dragon Festival'.

Ben Hastings

Ben is another Norfolk local who has lived here all his life. He's a web developer in Norwich working with global brands and an experienced project manager. He's the logical brain behind this campaign, keeping everyone on track and making sure everything runs smoothly. He's a real ale lover and is on a mission to try as many different beers from around the world as possible - even though he prefers the local stuff.

Find out more at www.savetheberneyarms.co.uk

If we reach our crowdfunding goal but are still not able to buy the pub, we will return your money (minus fees)!

All our plans for the pub are subject to planning, surveys and the like. We'll keep you updated as the campaign progresses.

This project closed unsuccessfully on 26th July 2016