The Freed Man Micro Pub Deal Kent CT14

I started in the pub trade as a tenant to a brewery-owned pub. The brewery operated a 100% wet tie. This means the tenant has to buy all wet products through the brewery at inflated prices. This decreases the landlords earning potential, increases the cost to the customer and reduces customer choice. It is medieval in both concept and practice and an absolute killer for your smaller back street pub. I didn’t know it at the time but my growing anger at the wet tie would eventually result in the Freed Man.

I care about pubs, not as places to get legless but as social centres for your local community. Unfortunately, the last few decades have seen hundreds of local pubs close due to a multitude of reasons. But all is not lost.

In 2005 the 2003 Licensing act came into force. You may remember it as the day the pubs could open for twenty-four hours. The other benefit of the new act that went unreported was it would now be easier for small premises to gain a license. It became harder for the pub companies to snuff out competition through legal objections.

That same year Martyn Hillier opened the Butcher’s Arms in Herne, England’s first micropub; it was the start of a quiet revolution. There are now over 150 and the numbers are growing.

So why did I jump onto this particular bandwagon? It’s simple, I wanted to give people somewhere to relax, meet people and socialise. I wanted my local back. The Freed Man, I hope, does that. It’s more of a mini pub than a micropub, phones are allowed and we have WiFi. I serve a draught lager, a great selection of wines, a few choice spirits and of course good British beer.

Please pop in and see what we are all about, we don’t bite and beards are not compulsory.