Bevy, Brighton

Community Owned

Freehold Owner: Community Benefit Society. Bevendean Community Pub Limited. Year Purchased 2014.

The Bevy, Brighton is the UK’s first co-operative pub on a housing estate. It is funded by over 700 shareholders and was re-built and decorated by an army of volunteers. Today, it still relies on these volunteers to chip-in with the day-to-day running of the pub, whether that’s mowing the lawn, touching up some painting, or glass collecting when they’re busy.

They successfully raised £200,000 to reopen the pub back in 2014, and a £175,000 grant enabled them to do even more. They now have their own wheelchair accessible ‘Bevy Bus’ that picks up local residents for their Friday lunch club, brings their sponsored university rugby team back to the Bevy post-matches, and takes Albion fans to every home league game. They’ve also built a training kitchen, where they’re teaching young people to cook, spruced up their edible pub garden, and introduced a £3.50 community meal every weekday lunchtime.

In 2021 the pub won the NACC award for Meals on Wheels services. See Morning Advertiser article.