Family-run pub firm collapses into liquidation – in business since 2019 | UK | News
A family-run pub company has gone into liquidation after seven years of operation. The Sorcerer’s Watering Hole, formerly trading as The Brewery Tap, appointed liquidators on May 15, according to public records in The Gazette, the official public record.
The McCormack family had run the Brewery Tap (a building dating from 1928) on Catherine Wheel Road, Brentford, since 2019. When they took over they had refurbished the “vibrant local pub to its traditional former glory” and described it as a “unique and lively atmosphere” with a diverse live music programme, with musicians playing jazz, rock, folk, soul and Irish music every week.
However, as of Friday, liquidation firm Robert Day and Company is acting on behalf of the company. Businesses appoint liquidators for many reasons, including falling sales, rising costs or excessive trading. Liquidation is the process of ending a business by selling its assets for cash. This cash is then used to pay creditors and settle debts.
The company’s owners have not made a public statement as to why liquidators were appointed and the website is still operational. It says: “Under new management from the McCormack Family since December 2019, The Brewery Tap has undergone a sympathetic (but much-needed!) renovation to return this vibrant local watering hole to its traditional former glory.”
The last post on the Facebook post is dated March 10. What this means for the future of the pub is unknown.
Nearly two British pubs a day will close in the first quarter of 2026, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
It was stated that 161 bars closed in England, Scotland and Wales in the first three months of this year, which corresponded to approximately 2,400 job losses. Last year, 336 British pubs reported closure.
“The scale of these closures is avoidable because pubs do a brisk trade but their profits are being wiped out by a disproportionate tax burden and huge costs,” said Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA.
Earlier this year the government announced a 15% cut in business rates for pubs and music venues after the industry warned further closures were guaranteed if no changes were made.
The Express contacted Brewery Tap for comment.
