Uproar as entire village vows to boycott pub after bizarre landlord row

Furious publicans on Anglesey are seeking legal advice after their short tenure at a local pub ended in acrimony. Darren and Susie Harris-Hughes, who say they "gave up everything" to move from Liverpool to the island, now face eviction before Christmas.

The couple reluctantly agreed to just a week's notice with Marston's Brewery to leave the Stag Inn, Cemaes, a decision that has sparked outrage among regulars, with customers vowing to boycott the pub and planning a protest outside, North Wales Live had previously reported.

The dismayed villagers have praised Darren and Susie for having "turned around" the pub in the mere five months since they sold their house to move to Anglesey. An online petition demanding Marston's reconsider its decision garnered almost 400 signatures within 24 hours – nearly a third of the village's population, Wales Online reported.

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Marston's, however, is reportedly perplexed by the uproar, believing the week-long notice period was mutually agreed upon. Yet, Darren and Susie describe the decision as "abrupt" and a complete "shock".

Susie said the couple had fully committed to taking on the most northerly pub in Wales back in July. "We sold our three-bedroom semi in Liverpool to move into a flat above the pub," she said. "It was in need of renovation, which we paid for ourselves.

"My husband gave up his business as a decorator and, to support him at the pub, I left my senior leadership role in the care sector. It's a fabulous community in Cemaes and we had a great reception. What's happened since is beyond belief and we are determined to fight it all the way."

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According to the couple, grievances centred on the pub's monthly stock takes, which revealed apparent discrepancies that left them mystified. Marston's is believed to have attributed the dispute to a breakdown in working relationships unrelated to recent stock check results.

Problems first arose, the couple said, during the September stock take, when a random sample of 25 products were checked. This found a shortfall of £1,600.

"We were down 10 bottles of Jack Daniels, which is something we hadn't even ordered," said Susie, mum to two grown-up children. "We were also short of six bottles of Amaretto - this is not something that's commonly drunk here, apart from in the summer perhaps when we get visitors coming in."

The October stock check revealed a £1,200 shortfall. This time Darren and Susie said they requested - and were granted – a full stocktake of their entire inventory, overseen by their area support manager.

Undertaken five days later, this revealed a £1,100 surplus, said Susie. "How could that be the case? We'd not had any deliveries in the interim. We took photos of everything as we were getting extremely worried," she added.

The stock check scheduled for November was postponed until Monday, December 9. Darren and Susie were so concerned that they requested the stock take to be filmed as proof of their compliance.

They claimed to have informed Marston's but when an independent auditor arrived, he declined to be filmed and the stock take was subsequently abandoned. The following day, the couple met with a Marston's manager and their notice period was established.

On Tuesday, December 17, they will relocate to their holiday home, a static caravan near Abergele, which will shut down for annual maintenance in the New Year. It is understood that Darren and Susie were never charged for any identified stock discrepancies during their five-month tenure at the pub nor was there any suggestion they would be liable for this cost. Initial stock discrepancies are not uncommon in the hospitality sector and issues are usually resolved upon closer examination. Under privacy and data protection laws, auditors are within their rights to refuse to be filmed while performing their duties.

'We don't want to leave'

Announcing their departure on social media, Darren and Susie said they were leaving "with heavy hearts".

The couple added: "We don't want to leave this great pub, the wonderful village, and the amazing people we've had the pleasure of getting to know during our time here."

At the time, the pub was closed due to a power outage caused by Storm Darragh. Despite this, patrons flocked to the Stag Inn to express their sadness and disappointment.

A petition on change.org has been launched by assistant manager Imogen Longman, urging Marston's to reconsider their decision. The petition highlights the significant contributions Susie and Darren have made to the pub since taking over in July.

They have hosted various events, including live music, quiz nights, and karaoke, and have also organised a "poppy wall" for Remembrance Sunday and Christmas carols outside the pub. The couple even invested their own money in new kitchen equipment to improve the food menus, which led to the pub receiving a TripAdvisor Travellers Choice award in late November.

Imogen wrote: "Their tireless efforts have brought new life into our beloved local hub, ensuring its legacy and place within the heart of our community. Since they took over, the Stag has become more than just a landmark – it's the vibrant soul of our village."

However, the couple now face an uncertain future with only a week's notice to leave. This decision has been met with strong opposition from the community, with some labelling it "callous", "bizarre", and "absolutely shocking".

The pub's pool team has vowed to relocate, and others have called for a boycott, starting next Tuesday. Only two days into their notice period, Marston's began advertising for "partners" to replace the couple at the Stag.

The brewery suggests that the pub, with current weekly drink sales at £6,000, has the potential to surge to £10,000 during peak season, along with food sales of up to £4,000. An interim operator is set to take charge for the time being.

A Marston's spokesperson commented: "We provide training and support for all our new partners starting out on our partnership model. After five months working together, we have mutually agreed with Darren and Susie to end our partnership later this month."

For the couple, it was a torrid week. Not only did the pub lose power, its tills went down on the day the vacancy was published online. In between packing up, they have been in touch with solicitors and Citizens Advice.

"We just wanted to have a professional conversation with the brewery about our situation," said Susie. "But it now looks like we will be going on Tuesday, that's not going to change."