Ye Olde Vic

1 Chatham Street, Edgeley, Stockport SK3 9ED

The Pub of the Month for September is Ye Old Vic, on the corner of Chatham Street and King Street West in Edgeley. John Clarke explains why it has won.

Ye Olde Vic has proved to be something of a survivor. In the 1960s there were plans for its demolition to provide for the entrance to an underground car park. Luckily, and unusually for those days, permission was refused and it lived to fight on.

Its days as a Wilsons pub came to an end in 1979 when it closed down. Fortunately the pub was bought and reopened as a free house in 1983 and that’s what it remains to this day. The ride hasn’t always been a smooth one, though. For several years it was in the hands of an owner who rather neglected the pub’s fabric. However, he also made the wise move of installing Steve Brannan and Johanne Quinn as tenants.

They remain there to this day, and during their reign the Vic has gained many CAMRA awards and is pretty much a permanent fixture in the Good Beer Guide. It looked as though all of this might come to a sudden end some years ago when the owner decided to sell up. Steve and Jo couldn’t afford to buy the pub but a consortium of locals came together and bought it (disclosure: I own a couple of bricks and a slate) and so it became the first community-owned pub in Stockport. Since then the Vic has seen considerable investment and now looks smarter than it has done for many years – it’s now also weather-proof! Some of the investors also help out, both behind the bar and in the cellar.

Investment in the pub continues, but it has also become something of a local institution and attracts beer lovers from both Stockport and further afield. Six handpumps are available, but in quieter times only three may be in use, thus ensuring the turnover and quality of the beers. Popular beers have been known to sell out in just an evening. Real cider is often available, too.

Join us on the evening of Thursday 26 September as we celebrate the survival and continuing success of this remarkable pub.