Sometimes the best things come in small packages, which is certainly true of the Bridge Inn pub in Bristol city centre. The inside squeezes just 35 customers on tables and around the bar, and music memorabilia lines the walls.
Paul Surridge, 54, has co-owned the pub for eight years, taking over from Bath Ales, and has been the sole owner since 2019. The pub’s history stretches back to the 19th century - and is one of the last remaining pubs on the street - when the nearby St Philips Bridge was built to replace the ferry service, which was subsequently bombed in 1940.
The pub is unmissable if you’re walking along Passage Street pronounced by the huge Jimi Hendrix mural on the outside. Paul worked as a professional musician for years, even snagging a recording deal with Universal, and after his band wrapped up, he wanted to find a way to retain the music memorabilia he had acquired over the years.
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When asked the reasoning behind the mural of the famous rock guitarist, Paul said: “I wanted a theme for the pub and to include something tangible. Me and my business partner at the time were arguing about what we were going to put on the front.
“Bristol’s known for graffiti so I thought let’s embrace it and it’s not a listed building. He wanted John Lennon and I wanted Jimi Hendrix. We also asked a prop company to make our sign, which is a plectrum, which was laser cut and cost and fortune.”
Inside, there are original copies of Led Zeppelin posters as well as a Frank Sidebottom head, which was a brilliant Facebook series during the Covid years. This not only caught the attention of the family of the Frank creator, Chris Sievey, but people across the country who were fans of the cult character.
The Bridge Inn has had a reputation for being a lunchtime and after-work spot for many years, due to its location in the city centre’s office district. Paul has noticed a change in pace after the Covid years, with many people still working at home.
“Fridays are dead now, which used to be the big day, which would normally make your numbers. It’s now Thursday because I think people are working from home on Fridays, which is killing us.”
Lockdown also brought a rise in at-home drinkers and the cost of living crisis has meant people have less disposable income for drinking out. In 2022, nearly 400 pubs were lost in England and Wales, according to analysis of official Government data by the real estate adviser Altus Group.
Paul explained: “The lunchtime trade has been severely affected because people are still working from home and that’s really hit all of hospitality massively, unfortunately, but that’s coming back slowly. We’re always punching above our weight.”
The bar may be small but the bar offering certainly covers a lot of ground with four cask lines, a cider cask line and eight keg lines, with around four offerings on regular rotation to offer different beers. “We try to cater for the modern consumer as well as the old boys in their flat caps,” he said.
“It’s all slightly uncertain as our suppliers are affected by the conflict in Ukraine and Brexit is a huge factor. Prices have absolutely rocketed and footfall has decreased so profit margins have literally halved and our turnover is a lot less.
“If you include inflation, our trade is down by 70 per cent of what we were before Covid and Brexit, which has impacted us with exports from the EU and supply chains have been disrupted. We try to keep local suppliers where possible.”
Inside is just enough space for around 35 customers with the outside space almost doubling capacity when it's set up in the warmer months.
Alongside its charm and music memorabilia, the Bridge Inn has a robust reputation as a community space. It’s been hosting a cheese night almost every Sunday since 2006, which started out free but now runs on give-what-you-can donations, of which all of the proceeds collected go to St Mungo’s, a charity that does crucial work to help people experiencing homelessness, which is on the rise in the city centre.
“We believe in what they do and they do such a good job, especially in the city centre where there’s a lot of things people don’t see. We just want to help people when we can and donate every month.
“The whole point of the pub was as a community centre and I grew up in the Welsh Valleys where all pubs had a community spirit. When I first came to Bristol, I’d come from London and noticed there was a lot of community, it doesn’t feel like a city it feels like a lot of small villages together.”
Bridge Inn is planning a takeover with Good Chemistry Brewery and has created a beer called Billy’s Bitter to help support Dean Farm in Chepstow, whose costs have quadrupled, where they sponsor a pig called Billy. Billy’s Bitter will be on sale from the weekend with pub takeover with Good Chemistry on the horizon too.
Alongside the Sunday cheese nights, the pub serves lunch from Wednesday to Friday, including Caribbean-style food such as curried goat alongside burgers and burritos. The pub will be serving some Welsh dishes on March 1 to mark St David’s Day.
The Bridge Inn, 16 Passage Street, Bristol. Open Wednesday to Friday (12pm-11pm) and Tuesday, Saturdays and Sundays (1pm-11pm) - note it will be open seven days a week from Spring 2023.
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