'It was far more than a pub, it was a cultural place': Dudley MP calls for rock music venue to reopen
A Black Country MP says she will be 'seeking further clarity' about the closure of a live music venue which closed suddenly following a dispute between the licensee and a pub company.
Sonia Kumar voiced concerns about the sudden closure of Ye Olde Foundry in Dudley last week, after owner Stonegate revoked the premises licence with immediate effect.
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The company had 'fined ' licensee Jake Hall £40,000 for buying drinks from independent wholesalers, but Mr Hall said the prices and conditions imposed on him by Stonegate had left him with no choice.
He claimed the pub company charged £64 for a bottle of whisky that cost £19 in the supermarket.
Ye Olde Foundry, in King Street, dates back to 1936, and since the late 1980s it has been well known as a live rock-music venue.
Miss Kumar said the pub held regular rock and metal gigs, discos, and offered real ale, playing an important role in Dudley’s cultural and night-time economy.
Mr Hall claims that the company wants to either sell the building or convert it into one of its Craft Union chain pubs.
Miss Kumar said: “I am deeply concerned by the sudden closure of Ye Olde Foundry and the circumstances surrounding it.
"This venue was far more than just a pub, it was a cultural space, a live music venue, and a place where people came together.
"Independent pubs and grassroots venues are already under immense pressure, and when a business that has been part of Dudley’s social fabric for decades closes overnight, it raises serious questions about fairness, transparency and the sustainability of current pub company practices.”
She said it was the fifth pub to shut in Dudley in the past two months, hlighting the growing challenges facing local hospitality venues amid rising costs and structural pressures in the sector.
“I am thinking especially of Jake, his family, the staff, musicians and the loyal customers who supported The Foundry,” sher added.
“No business owner should find themselves in a position where they feel ignored, unsupported or left without clear routes to resolve disputes.”
Miss Kumar said she would be seeking further clarity on the circumstances surrounding the licence revocation and would raise broader concerns about the treatment of tenants, the viability of tied pub agreements, and the loss of independent cultural venues in town centres like Dudley.
“If we want thriving high streets and a strong local cultural scene, we must do more to support independent venues and ensure that large pub companies are operating responsibly and transparently. I will continue to stand up for Dudley’s local businesses and the communities that rely on them.”
