An award-winning folk venue in King’s Cross has survived “by the skin of its teeth” after having to find £99,000 in backdated rent from the pandemic. The Harrison Pub was locked in a four-year battle with its landlords , the Wellington Pub Company, over rent payments and was asked to pay just shy of six figures following a High Court battle. The pub was days away from closing but was saved by £20,000 worth of donations from nearly 600 pub goers, with one musician who performs at the venue donating £1,800.
The pub’s landlord Paul Michelmore told the Standard he was overwhelmed by the outpour of support for the venue, explaining “it’s the music that saved us”. “It was pretty close to the skin of its teeth,” he explained. “It’s been a weird feeling.
.. I just keep getting this panic that we have forgotten something.
“We are talking about the future for the first time in four and a half years.” The pub, which is a short walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, is currently negotiating a 15 year lease, securing its long term future. The venue regularly hosts folk nights and musicians who have performed at the pub include Peggy Seeger and Bonobo.
The pub was instructed to pay its landlords the full rent for the property during the Mr Michelmore previously told the Standard: “When I took the pub over Harrison Street was full of prostitutes and junkies. “The only reason cars aren’t robbed every single day on Harrison Street is because we are.