The licensee of Manchester’s Britons Protection claims the historic pub, which gave refuge to the Peterloo Massacre victims, now needs protection itself from pub company plans for its future.

Alan Hudd has successfully run the popular Great Bridgewater Street hostelry for 11 years with Mark West. Now he is fighting the Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars’ intention to take the free-of-tie, eight hand pull house into its managed portfolio.

Court papers are currently being prepared to challenge the company’s move and a 15,600-plus signature protest petition, backed by a fighting fund, has been raised in the bid to safeguard the pub as a venue for a wide variety of local real ales and more than 360 whiskies.

Once used for army recruitment and listed under the CAMRA National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, Britons Protection dates back to the early 1800s and features a dramatic mural of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre. Over the past 10 years, Alan has built up the whisky collection from around the world. Each summer he and Mark travel to Kentucky to select a barrel of bourbon to be imported and released for Christmas. They fear the whiskies and cask ales will be lost under the Star Pubs & Bars’ plan.

Alan said: “We are fighting to protect the future of this iconic Manchester pub. If it becomes a managed house the city will lose a much-loved venue for cask ale and whisky, to yet another bland gastropub. A real loss for the city. People come here for our beers and whisky.

“We stock beers from many local breweries, but a managed house would not deal with them, and the whisky selection would go down to six. We are working on papers to present to the county court later this year seeking judgement to allow our lease to continue. I appeal for everyone who cares about Manchester pubs to support the fight.”

A spokesperson for Star Pubs & Bars would not comment on the legal process but said: “Britons Protection is a beautiful, historic Manchester pub that appeals to both locals who love real ale and visitors looking to experience a traditional Mancunian great British pub. We believe in its future and, now that the lease is coming to an end, we feel this is the ideal opportunity to review how the pub will be operated going forward to ensure its long-term sustainability. 

“Britons Protection is the perfect fit for our managed operator model and we plan to build on the current offer while continuing to support the pub’s historic status and maintaining its focus on serving an interesting range of real ale and ciders.”