Buxton bar merger to come to an end

It has been less than a year since 53 Degrees North relocated in to the Buxton Tap House and the two businesses collaborated with 53 Degrees @ the Tap House.

Now bar managers Matt and Emma Blackwood are stepping away from the joint venture in order to take over a hotel in Hayfield.

Matt said: “We never imagined we would be as busy as we have been or the business would have been so successful when we started this journey a year ago and we are so grateful to everyone who has supported us in the last 12 months.

“The time is right for us to move on to our next project and say goodbye to 53 Degrees for now.”

The Buxton Tap House will not be closing and will stay open under the management of Buxton Brewery and Matt insists there is no bad feeling between the two businesses.

He said: “It seems more appropriate the brewery run their own tap house.

“They had a lack of staff when everyone came out of the third lockdown last year and we had just closed our site on Hall Bank so the timing was right.

“Now we realise just how thinly we were spreading ourselves so knew we needed to make a change.

“We’re obviously disappointed to be going.

"But we’re pleased to say the overwhelming majority of our staff will be staying with us as we move.”

Matt and Emma only secured the deal on The George in Hayfield last month.

They will remain in the Tap House during June and then after that they will focus solely on the George and the Old Sun Inn on Buxton’s High Street, which they also run.

Matt said: “The George is right in the heart of the village and has nine rooms too, so it’s going to be a learning curve of early mornings and making bacon but it’s exciting too.

“It’s the next chapter in our story and we are looking forward to welcoming customers old and new at the George.

“Looking to the future we will be expanding our offering at the Sun and working the hotel through the summer then revamping in low season.

Geoff Quinn from Buxton Brewery added: “We will be staying open, there are no plans to shut. In fact we will be recruiting more staff in the coming weeks which is good news.”

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