'Situation nobody wants to have to face' as another Rushden and Higham pub closes its doors for good

Management at the King Edward VII, on the corner of Cromwell Road and Queen Street, Rushden, had an ‘instant’ decision to make and opted to call it a day on September 2.

A pub spokesman said: “The pub has closed due to a challenging environment and in general a very hard time for pubs due to less people going out with all the bill increases we now all face.”

Bosses highlight that, since the Covid pandemic, fewer people are spending time in pubs than before, which they insist also played a part in its eventual closure this month.

Just three years ago its new owners went ‘all out’ with a £200,000 refurbishment to King Edward VII, which included new windows and doors, a new internal layout with new toilets and kitchen areas, a rebuilt outdoor area, and all new electrics and heating throughout. The hope was to rejuvenate the pub, which was empty for several years prior, to welcome customers through the doors and bring it back to its former glory.

Its untimely departure from the town comes not long after The Griffin in Higham Ferrers ceased trading, as that establishment made the decision to close on August 18.

A statement was posted to King Edward VII’s Facebook page thanking its customers, who responded in kind with happy memories, and well wishes.

It reads: "We would like to thank everybody who visited and we hope you enjoyed your time in one of Rushden’s last remaining pubs.

“We thank the staff for their hard work and wish everyone the best for their future.

"We tried to create something special but we fear the days of estate pubs are over.

"This is a situation nobody wants to have to face and the most important thing for us was to make sure the staff got paid, which they have/will be.

“The truth is the utility bills have skyrocketed and less people drink in pubs these days.

“It happened very recently and after working out everything a decision had to be made before it wouldn't be possible to pay staff anymore. We are sorry for the staff finding out suddenly, it's the last thing anybody wants to have to do.”

There is currently no news as to what will happen to the building.