'My sadness at giving up Guernsey's oldest pub'

The former landlord of a pub described as "Guernsey's oldest" has spoken of his sadness at its closure.

Chris Dean left the Plough Inn in 1989, but his family had been involved for more than century with his grandfather taking over the site in the 1920s, with various family members running the pub until its closure in 2025.

The pub in Vauvert, St Peter Port, dates back to 1810 and is now on sale for £350,000 and could be turned into housing.

Chris Dean said: "It's a sad moment from the family point of view - but times change... it's a very difficult profession to be in, long hours and hard work."

The former landlord said: "Obviously, over the years it's meant a lot to me because it's been my home on numerous occasions.

"I just think it's quite sad to see it go now because we don't know at this stage what will happen to it, but it's looking likely it will become accommodation.

Chris Dean said his grandfather Harry St Clair Dean had continued running the pub until the 1950s, when he died "tragically" in an accident there.

It was at that point that Chris Dean's father, also Harry St Clair Dean, took over, running the pub until 1966, before selling it to the Guernsey Brewery, eventually returning as landlord in 1974 and staying until 1979.

Chris Dean's uncle Ronnie Dean was next to step up, followed by his cousin, also Ronnie Dean and finally Chris Dean took the helm.

In response to a string of venue closures in 2025, Deputy Paul Monague, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said the committee was developing a strategy for culture on the island "in which the role of entertainment venues will be a key consideration".

But that will not come soon enough for businesses such as the Plough.

Describing a world in which people "have 60-inch televisions" and can access "cheap alcohol" in the supermarkets, Chris Dean said they no longer needed to go to the pub.

He said: "During the earlier years, that's all people had - they'd go to the pub and that was their community.

"They'd go and meet their friends and have a good evening out."

He said the modern world required hospitality bosses to "adapt" around a younger generation "who aren't drinking like they did in my day".

An appealing food offering - or themes such as sport - were needed, he said, but these were challenging prospects for small pubs due to a lack of kitchen space or facilities.

"Slowly they die off," he added.

Asked if pubs that were also historic landmarks should be protected, he added: "As far as the building, maybe - but I'm not quite sure in what respect because I'm not sure it could be a profitable business any more."

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