Kylie Minogue secret gig pub owners may hand back keys

The Ring O' Bells has hosted Coldplay and Kylie Minogue for gigs in the past

The tenant of a pub, where Kylie and Coldplay have played secret gigs, said he will be forced to hand it back to the brewery due to a big rent increase.

Miles Leonard, who runs the Ring O' Bells in Compton Martin, Somerset, said Butcombe Brewery's demanded 132% increase came as a complete surprise.

"Even without Covid we wouldn't be able to afford this, it was a kick in the teeth when that letter came."

Butcombe Breweries said it needed to "protect the pub's future".

The pub will now be taken over by the brewery on 7 January after the rent was increased from £28,000 to £65,000.

Mr Leonard claimed Butcombe refused to enter third party arbitration, and also demanded a 100% increase in their annual spend with the brewery.

A petition to keep the pub with its current owners has been signed by more than 2,000 people.

A petition to keep the pub with its current owners has been signed by over 2,000 people

Mr Leonard, who is also chairman of Parlophone Records and Warner Bros Records, has invited a host of famous names to play there in recent years, including Kylie Minogue, Stereophonics and Coldplay.

The pub stayed open during the start of the coronavirus pandemic, acting as a shop and delivering food to people who were isolating.

"If they said they were taking the pub back that would be fine, but asking us to stay and pay this is absurd," said Mr Leonard.

"I don't want to wage war with Butcombe but we deserve more than that. The community is crying out for individual pubs that bring something to the village," he added.

Butcombe Breweries said it had decided to bring the pub into its "managed estate to protect its future".

A spokesperson said the firm had "made every effort to support the operators" over the past few years, and during recent discussions "no offer of a new tenancy was ever formally issued".

"Ultimately, Butcombe has to ensure all properties owned by the company, as the Ring O' Bells is, are viable so that they can continue to serve communities in a sustainable way."

They said plans were in place to provide "high-end food" and "expand accommodation".

"The part played by the Ring O' Bells in the local community over the years cannot be disputed.

"It is, however, Butcombe's responsibility to focus on the longevity and survival of the business, with substantial investment planned to future-proof it."