Cromer White Horse Pub landlady leaving after £16k rent rise

Annie Kemp, 61, has run the White Horse in West Street for the past 18 years.

But she says she has no choice but to leave it behind after the rent rise was announced by the Stonegate Group.

Annie Kemp, landlady at The White Horse Pub in Cromer (Image: Adam Barker)

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Stonegate made the offer as part of a new five-year contract, but the steep rent bill would be on top of the roughly £3,000 a month Miss Kemp already spends on gas and electric bills to keep the pub running through the winter months.

Miss Kemp said: “Through the winter that’s just not feasible. I’d go under – I just wouldn’t be able to afford it.

“Leaving the pub is not by choice. I’m paying £1,800 a month on my gas alone through the winter, and similar on electric.

The White Horse in Cromer's West Street (Image: Adam Barker)

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“I’m gutted because I’ve put my heart and soul into it over the years only to feel like I’ve been forced out.

“This is all I’ve ever done – it’s in my heart.”

Miss Kemp, who lives in Cromer, used to run the pub alongside her former partner Ken Nickerson, who died six years ago.

She said the pub has become part of the community.

“We all look out for each other,” she said.

“We get a lot of elderly and vulnerable people come in because they’ve got nowhere else to go.

Annie Kemp, landlady at The White Horse Pub in Cromer (Image: Adam Barker)

“I’d like to thank all my customers for their support over the years. They’ve supported me through thick and thin.

“I’ve had so many loyal customers, even the holidaymakers who return each year.”

Miss Kemp will leave the pub on October 1 this year. Stonegate is expected to appoint a new landlord after her departure. 

Annie Kemp, landlady at The White Horse Pub in Cromer (Image: Adam Barker)