With its beer garden overlooking the ruins of the Roman city of Verulamium, the historic Ye Olde Fighting Cocks pub in St Albans has been pushed to the brink by Covid-19.
Two years of on-off lockdown closures, as well as the wider challenges brought on by the pandemic, have taken its toll on a pub that once held a Guinness World Record for the oldest in England.
It was announced this month that the pub, which has foundations dating back to 793 and hosted Oliver Cromwell for dinner in the 1600s, had served its last pint.
But now its landlord, Christo Tofalli, believes the Ye Olde Fighting Cocks could be given a reprieve, urging regulars and its global fanbase to “watch this space”.
“It’s a very fluid situation at the moment, there have been lots of phone calls over the past few weeks with people interested in buying the pub,” he told the Guardian. “The pub was a good business before Covid and we are really working hard to find a prospective buyer. We want to get it done as quickly as possible.”
Tofalli said he had been touched by the messages he had received since it was announced the pub was facing closure because of the pandemic.
He said: “When I bought it 10 years years ago, it had been derelict for nine months, so to go from that to being one of the best pubs in the country, if not the world, has been an amazing achievement.
“We know how special this place is. We connect with our customers and it’s not just the locals, it’s people from all around the world who have been in touch with me.
“The messages start expressing great sorrow about the prospect of closure but it’s not long before people start reminiscing and talking about their memories of the place.”
He said Ye Olde Fighting Cocks has been operating, in some shape or form, for more than 1,200 years, and he has been told “the past 10 have been the best it has ever seen”.
On the pub’s future, he added: “Watch this space. We want to put this to bed in the best possible way and hopefully there will be some news very soon.”
The pub’s Facebook page was inundated with support from well-wishers when it was confirmed the company, called Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (YOFC) Ltd, had gone into administration.
It is being marketed by the auctioneers JPS Chartered Surveyors, with the deadline for expressions of interest set for Monday.
A description reads: “A unique opportunity has arisen to purchase the business and assets of Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, a true piece of English history. Reputedly England’s oldest pub, established in the 8th Century and moved to its current site, a grade II listed building overlooking the picturesque River Ver, in the 1500s.”
