A much-loved Luton town centre pub that shut its doors earlier this year is set to reopen next month, following a wave of community backing and promises of a fresh new look.
The Brewery Tap, on Park Street, which has been boarded up since April, will welcome customers again from Thursday August 21, with its new owners pledging a mix of live sport, drink deals, entertainment and support for local clubs.
In a Facebook post yesterday, the team behind the relaunch confirmed that while “there’s still work to do”, much progress has already been made and the pub will remain a traditional local with “major improvements”.
Plans include Sky Sports coverage, regular live music, great-value drinks and a renewed focus on supporting grassroots sport in the town.
In a follow-up post this morning, they thanked Lutonians for their “brilliant” support and asked for input on what kind of events punters would like to see – from quizzes and themed food nights to more live entertainment. “This is your pub,” the message read, “and we want to make it even better for you.”
The Brewery Tap has a long and colourful history in Luton. Originally a late-19th-century beerhouse serving the former Phoenix Brewery across the road, it became a fully licensed pub in 1948. In December 1979, it suffered a devastating fire caused by a discarded cigarette, which tragically claimed a life. The rebuilt pub reopened in 1981 after a major refit that merged two buildings into one.
For decades it traded under various owners, including J W Green, Flowers and Whitbread. But in recent years it struggled, like many wet-led pubs, and was marked by CAMRA earlier this year as “closed long term”. Its disappearance was mourned on local forums, with many lamenting the growing number of shuttered pubs across the town.
Now, with its August reopening date confirmed and a clear appeal to local residents to help shape its future, the Brewery Tap looks set to be reborn as a community-centred venue with a nod to its proud past.
