Award-winning Torbay pub to close in shock to entire community

An award-winning Torbay pub where thousands of pounds have been raised for charity is to call time for the last time.

The Boxing Day closure of the Queens Arms will shock the community of Brixham and beyond.

Saddened Landlord Chris Simmonds said: “We've reached the point where the business is simply no longer viable."

Soaring operating costs and falling customer demand have sounded the death knell for the Station Road local bringing to an end a remarkable era in the town's community life.

Landlord Chris says the decision to close on December 26 has been an extremely difficult one.

"Just about everything is going up – utilities, rates, stock and wages. At the same time, customer demand is falling. We've reached the point where the business is simply no longer viable," he said.

The closure represents far more than the loss of another pub.

Over the past 16 years, the Queens Arms has established itself as a welcoming and much-loved community hub, raising almost £70,000 for charities and local good causes. Only two weeks ago customers helped raise £1,135 for Vikki Francis's Brain Tumour Research appeal.

Its popular ‘Open Mic’ nights have provided a showcase for local musical talent, while generations of regulars have enjoyed the simple pleasures of a traditional local pub – a pint, a chat, a game of cards, darts or dominoes, and the opportunity to put the world to rights.

The Queens Arms has also won numerous awards, earning a reputation as one of the most highly decorated pubs in Torbay.

"We've won so many awards and achieved so much over the years, but the rising costs have finally made it impossible to continue," says Chris.

"I have countless memories – good, bad, stressful and amazing. It's been a huge part of my life, and it is with great sadness that I've taken this decision.

"I'm almost 60 now, and perhaps it's time to recognise the inevitable, close one chapter and open another – probably away from the pub trade."

Despite the sadness, Chris is proud of what the Queens Arms has achieved.

He says: "I'm leaving with my head held high. We've achieved a great deal, not least the money we've raised for charity and the friendships we've made along the way.

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"I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been part of our amazing pub journey, especially Emma and Sophie behind the bar. I couldn't have done it without you."

News of the closure will come as a shock to the many customers for whom the Queens Arms has been far more than somewhere to enjoy a drink. For them, it has been a meeting place, a source of friendship and a familiar part of everyday life.

The Queens Arms will close its doors at 6pm on Boxing Day. For Chris, his customers and the wider Brixham community, it will truly be the end of an era.