MORRIS MEMORIES...
Kieran said: ‘The Bear is different to any other pub in Horsham. It feels like an old-school boozer and that’s not a bad thing. It isn’t somewhere that lots of people walk by, being tucked away in Market Square, and perhaps that’s why it tends to attract the regular following and custom that it has.’
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WORDS: BEN MORRIS PHOTOS: ALAN WRIGHT
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‘You have to manage The Bear in its own way, but music has always been part of its character and that continues to be the case. When it’s full, there’s an unbelievable buzz, and we want to reflect that character by hanging up a range of things that might not make a great deal of sense to everyone, but for the right person, they’ll know The Bear is for them!’
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The Bear is now free-of-tie, meaning it can offer a greater variety of spirits, wines and soft drinks, after renewing its contract with another brewery, Red Oak Taverns. Its new look will be partly designed to cater for the younger crowd the pub attracts.
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Kieran’s other pub, The Bear, will undergo a mini-refurbishment of its own in February. This will see the walls adorned with random objects, artefacts and memorabilia, with the landlord inspired by a bar he visited on holiday. One thing that won’t be going anywhere though is the wooden bear sculpture above the entrance. It was removed in 2018 due to a dry rot problem, causing something of a stir amongst the locals and creating headlines in the County Times, before being returned to its usual berth after restoration by Hall and Woodhouse.
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BEAR ESSENTIALS...
The Bear in Market Square (©AAH/Alan Wright)
The Stout House is traditionally a favourite with Morris sides, who turn out annually for the Broadwood Day of Dance. By trading billiards for a jukebox, it could be suggested that the pub is losing some of its heritage and traditions. However, Kieran says that isn’t the case. ‘As much as we have to change, we recognise that the pub has a certain status. Pubs have ups and downs and people fall in and out of love with them. A pub can go through a period where it caters for a certain market and then that can change suddenly. Our customer base is mostly aged 25 to 50, and while we need to modernise, that won’t be at the loss of the memories in the walls. The Stout House remains an over-21s pub and is very welcoming. I hope that anyone who might not like the changes can at least understand the reasons behind them.’
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