A much-loved Scarborough pub, The Cask Inn on Cambridge Terrace, will close its doors under current management on 18 May 2025, ending a decades-long chapter in local hospitality, live music, and community culture.
The pub’s operators confirmed the closure on 8 May, despite months of campaigning from locals who sought to bring the venue into community ownership. The news has been met with disappointment and frustration across the town, particularly given the pub’s status as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), awarded in February this year.
A Cultural Hub with a National Reputation
The Cask Inn Scarborough has operated as a public house since the 1970s, evolving into a key fixture in Scarborough’s music scene. It’s downstairs venue space, known as the Cask Club, hosted Scarborough Jazz every Wednesday as well as blues events. The function room – with its bar and separate entrance – was more than a bonus feature; it was a dedicated performance space that earned the pub national recognition in jazz circles.
Bob Walker, chair of Scarborough Jazz, called it “one of the best grassroots jazz venues in operation,” noting that it regularly attracted top UK artists and international talent. The room’s acoustics and layout, he said, were especially well-suited to the genre. “The loss of this facility,” Walker warned in an earlier statement, “will be felt throughout a much wider area than just Scarborough.”
The Community Campaign
Efforts to save The Cask began in January 2024, after owners Star Pubs & Bars (a Heineken UK company) listed the property for sale at approximately £350,000. Concerns quickly surfaced over the risk of redevelopment or conversion into housing, prompting local residents to organise a campaign that gathered more than 700 petition signatures.
The campaign secured the support of the Plunkett Foundation and Scarborough ward councillor Rich Maw. It also led to the successful ACV listing, providing a six-month moratorium on the sale to allow a community bid to be developed and submitted, ultimately via the Government’s Community Ownership Fund.
However, the bid was unsuccessful. Star Pubs sold the property with the condition of vacant possession, meaning existing tenants had to leave the premises before the new owners took control. That stipulation proved decisive. Andrea Allison, one of the pub’s operators, confirmed that while she and her team had hoped to return as tenants under community ownership, their plans were not compatible with those of the new buyers.
“This is a sad day,” the team said in a statement. Please come and help us celebrate the last two weeks in our wonderful pub and make our goodbye memorable.”
Ownership Transfer and Future Plans
Initial reports incorrectly identified local contractor EMCE LTD as the buyer. However, this was clarified on 9 May when Merrydith Property Developments – headed by Craig Brown – was confirmed as the new owner. The company plans to renovate and reopen The Cask Inn in the coming weeks.
“As Scarborough locals ourselves, we fully understand the importance of the pub to the community,” Brown said. “We look forward to restoring it to its former glory and continuing to provide a much-loved hub for the community.”
Brown also addressed concerns about the building’s condition, describing the upper floors as having suffered from “years of neglect” and confirming that significant investment would be required.
Although rumours initially suggested permanent closure or redevelopment, Merrydith has stated that a new operator will be brought in and that the venue will remain a pub.
What’s Next for the Community?
While the building’s future may be secure, the question of whether The Cask Inn’s distinct identity – particularly its cultural role – can be maintained remains open.
Andrea Allison has since confirmed she will continue her work elsewhere. She has taken on The Spa Pub on Victoria Road, where the Scarborough Jazz Club will resume on Wednesday nights. Food service and other community programming are also set to return in time.
“It is always the people that make the pub, not the location,” Allison said.
A Broader Story
The Cask Inn’s story is far from unique in the current climate, where rising repair costs, corporate ownership models, and property values often outweigh the social value of longstanding venues. But the depth of community support for The Cask – and the strength of its campaign – highlight a broader call to protect cultural and communal assets before they’re lost.
As Merrydith prepares to reopen The Cask Inn under new stewardship, all eyes will be on whether they can strike the right balance between modernisation and heritage. For Scarborough, the hope is that the new Cask can preserve the spirit of the old, while building something fit for the future.
The new owners whilst trading as Merrydith Property Services are the same owners as EMCE with the same directors. So not incorrect just a sister company.
I agree that it’s just a different trading name for the same owners.
My friend and me lived across the road from The Cask 50 years ago. The people that ran it kept a mynah bird in a cage in the bar who used to call for ‘Raymond’ in a Yorkshire accent.