A RETIRED Redditch businessman has expressed his disappointment at pub giant Greene King which, he said, had not responded to his attempts to rescue a well-known village pub
Stuart Mee wrote to Greene King in November after first floating the idea of a community rescue for The Oddfellows Arms in Astwood Bank in 2023.
Since the meeting, and following his email, he said he had heard nothing back from Greene King – in response, the company said his email had not made their way to them.
The Oddfellows Arms in Foregate Street is believed to have first opened in the 1840s and is named after The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a Friendly Society which provided insurance for workers.
His email to Greene King in November 2025 was sent after the previous tenants had left and Greene King had closed the pub.
He wrote: “I am writing on behalf of a group of local residents and regular users of the Oddfellows Arms in Astwood Bank.
“In early 2023, we met with your local representative to discuss the possibility of taking on the Oddfellows Arms as a non-profit community pub. At that time, we proposed operating the pub under a model that would retain it as a valued community asset.
“Our group offered to pay the existing rental rate and to raise the necessary working capital locally.
“Any profits generated would be reinvested into the community rather than distributed privately. We understand the most recent tenants have now departed and we would like to ask whether Greene King would be open to resuming discussions about the possibility of such a community agreement.
“We believe this could provide a sustainable and community-focused future for the Oddfellows Arms, preserving its place at the heart of Astwood Bank.”
His email received no acknowledgement from Greene King, which runs 2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland.
Mr Mee added: “With between 30 and 40 pubs a month closing across the UK, it seems very small-minded of Greene King not to give local residents the opportunity to keep one of their fast dwindling stock open.
“We are very disappointed not to have had any response in nearly three years to our positive and fully funded proposal and, in consequence, Astwood Bank and the surrounding area has lost another much-loved community asset.”
The Standard understands the pub’s business development manager Bruce Wakeling is interested in having a conversation with Mr Mee to discuss the opportunity in further detail.
A spokesperson for The Oddfellows Arms said: “We are actively searching for a new partner to operate The Oddfellows Arms following the departure of our previous tenant.
“We encourage anyone who is interested in running the pub as our partner to contact our recruitment team for further information.”
