The pub’s previous owners said they had ‘given up everything’ to move there
The Stag Inn, Cemaes, Anglesey. (Pictured on May 16 2019)(Image: Jeff Buck/Wiki)
New publicans have taken on a North Wales establishment after its previous Scouse tenants agreed to leave. West Derby couple Darren and Susie Harris-Hughes previously told the ECHO they had reluctantly accepted a week’s notice from brewery Marston’s to vacate the Stag Inn in Cemaes in Anglesey – a decision that initially sparked anger amongst some of their regulars.
Some villagers, including the pub’s pool team, had reportedly initially pledged to boycott the establishment and an online petition calling for the couple to stay gathered hundreds of signatures. However, Marston’s told the ECHO that “the decision to leave the Stag was mutually agreed with Susie and Darren following a breakdown of the working relationship”.
On the pub’s official Facebook page, the new tenants posted on December 18: “What a beautiful pub in a beautiful village. We can’t wait to meet you all. Our doors are currently closed but we are looking to reopen tomorrow at some point. We are here to make a living like all the previous operators. If you have any questions feel free to pop in.”
Two days later on December 20 they added: “Thank you for everyone that visited us tonight. It really was lovely to meet you all. The people certainly make this pub what it is. We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.” The tenants signed off the post ‘Team Stag’.
Various people have offered support to the new tenants. Carole Anne Moore said: “Welcome and wishing you all the very best. As a previous tenant at The Stag (2001-08) this place still means a lot to me and my family, and I look forward to meeting you in 2025. Cemaes is a beautiful village; all the best.”
Wendy Marie added: “Brilliant news looking forward . I for one will be returning as a customer,” while Keith Fitton wrote: “People are NOT planning to boycott The Stag. If anything quite the opposite.”
The pub was previously at the centre of controversy when the Harris-Hughes told the ECHO they “gave up everything” to move to Anglesey from Liverpool, only to have to leave five months later. Mrs Harris-Hughes told the ECHO that problems arose in September when a stock-take carried out by an independent third-party auditor showed a deficit amounting to £1,600.
She said: “I sat down with the auditor and asked him to tell me where he was finding these losses. We were told we were 10 bottles of Jack Daniel’s down, which is impossible because we didn’t even order 10 bottles of Jack Daniel’s in that month. He also said we were down three bottles of Amaretto.
“I put a message together to our area manager and asked for an independent investigation into it. I told him that, to me, it’s either a human error or a system error – or both. When the stocks are down, it’s us who have to pay. We would have to pay that £1,600 and I’m not doing it.”
Marston’s said the tenants had not been asked to pay for any stock discrepancies, and that it had not “ever been suggested” that they would be liable. The ECHO understands that the auditor the Harris-Hughes referred to is an independent stocktaking business, not a Marston’s employee. Initial stock discrepancies are understood to not be uncommon in the hospitality sector, with issues usually resolved on closer examination.
Darren and Susie Harris-Hughes, previous publicans at the Stag Inn, Cemaes, Anglesey(Image: No credit)
The issue developed when another independent auditor refused to be filmed during another stock take. Under privacy and data protection laws, auditors are within their rights to refuse to be videoed carrying out their work. A day later, the couple claimed they met a Marston’s manager and the notice period was set.
Mrs Harris-Hughes said last month: “Marson’s told us: ‘Our working relationship and partnership is no longer conducive’.”
A spokesperson for Marston’s previously told the ECHO: “The decision to leave the Stag was mutually agreed with Susie and Darren, following a breakdown of the working relationship. They have never been charged for any deficits recorded by our independent stock takers, and there was never any suggestion that they would be. We provide training and support for all our new partners starting out on our partnership model, which now covers 900 pubs nationwide.”