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End of the road for Berinsfield biker cafe (From Oxford Mail)
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End of the road for Berinsfield biker cafe
11:31am Thursday 11th March 2010
THE future of a popular bikers’ cafe is in doubt after it was forced to close due to money troubles.
Landlord Sean Harris shut the H Cafe, near Berinsfield, on Monday after racking up “substantial” debts.
The 42-year-old, from Benson, had been landlord of the café for almost two years.
He has also closed his pub, The Seven Stars in nearby Marsh Baldon and his business, Harris Hospitality, which ran both operations, has gone into liquidation.
Last night Mr Harris, a father-of-two, told the Oxford Mail: “We racked up thousands of pounds on credit cards trying to struggle on.
“Eventually we just thought it was a bad idea to keep throwing good money after bad. The cafe has a massive biker history and it’s a real shame it’s had to close.
“Just after we took over people were hit hard by the credit crunch and didn’t want to eat out any more.”
Biker group H Riders is hopeful a new landlord can be found.
The group, which has about 400 members, is named after the cafe, which was previously Fox’s Diner.
Chairman Steve Harding, 59, said: “We’ve had some great times at the cafe. I heard it was losing about £1,000 a week. Unfortunately it became a victim of the recession. Maybe if we had known sooner we could’ve put together a rescue package.”
Adam Perkins works at motorcycle parts shop, MPS Express, which neighbours the cafe.
He said: “The closure will have an effect on us because people would have a cup of tea at the cafe, then come over to have a mooch in the shop. But we’ve been here for 10 years and I’m sure we’ll survive.”
Villagers in Marsh Baldon have also been saddened by the closure of the Seven Stars, in The Green, which Mr Harris took over a year ago. It was the only pub in the village.
The pub campaign group Camra has estimated that nationally 39 pubs are closing each week.
Chris Lake, 56, who lives in The Green, said: “Sean has worked really hard and made it absolutely brilliant. The villagers are all gutted.
“Traditionally when something like this happens the owners try to turn the pub into housing, but that is extremely difficult to do when it’s a village’s last pub.”
A spokesman for Admiral Taverns, which owns the Seven Stars, said it was liaising with the landlord about possibly reopening.
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Your Say YourOxford
Andrew:Oxford, Oxford says...
12:25pm Thu 11 Mar 10
er site is a bit untidy. Would be a perfect site for Tesco-Express to serve the locals in both Dorchester & Benson though. Ideal for slipping off the A4074 and grabbing some groceries on the way home too. If flattened, would the site be big enough for a large AsDa to serve Abingdon/Dorchester/
Benson/Berinsfield/W
allingford & South Oxford?
wallingford1, wallingford says...
12:58pm Thu 11 Mar 10
It's a shame it's closed, times is hard and all that, it was a nice turnaround from what the old Fox's Diner became.
rowdy, newquay says...
5:13pm Thu 11 Mar 10
Hugh Jaeger, Oxford says...
11:02am Fri 12 Mar 10
Tesco is an unscrupulous oligopoly that has too many stores in Oxfordshire already. Asda's parent company are a bunch of gun-sellers who are infamous for putting many hundreds of local independent traders out of business all over the USA. Allowing either of those retail bullies into Berinsfoeld could threaten all the local traders who serve the village.
Berinsfield is a rare surviving example of the many café's that started more than half a century ago as truck stops and then were adopted by bikers. The Busy Bee, Halfway House and Saltbox have gone. The Ace Café has been ponced up, given a bar licence and shamelessly been reduced to a fashion "brand". Berinsfield's café, despite changing names too many times, has remained a traditional "caff" where all types of motorcyclists can feel they belong. It is an unique institution that deserves to survive.
camden, dorchester says...
1:06pm Fri 12 Mar 10
Hugh Jaeger wrote:I trust you will be bidding to buy and run it then? With the present economic climate no one in their right mind would lease a cafe whose main income is from fair weather weekend bikers.
Berinsfield has the only biker café in the whole of Oxfordshire. It has great social value and in recent years both the café and the club have worked hard to support motorcycle safetly and deter the minority who ride anti-socially. The café is also key to the viability of all other trade and employment on the site. Tesco is an unscrupulous oligopoly that has too many stores in Oxfordshire already. Asda's parent company are a bunch of gun-sellers who are infamous for putting many hundreds of local independent traders out of business all over the USA. Allowing either of those retail bullies into Berinsfoeld could threaten all the local traders who serve the village. Berinsfield is a rare surviving example of the many café's that started more than half a century ago as truck stops and then were adopted by bikers. The Busy Bee, Halfway House and Saltbox have gone. The Ace Café has been ponced up, given a bar licence and shamelessly been reduced to a fashion "brand". Berinsfield's café, despite changing names too many times, has remained a traditional "caff" where all types of motorcyclists can feel they belong. It is an unique institution that deserves to survive.
As for Tesco or Asda. Not a cat in hells chance. The NIMBY councillors from Burcot Clifton Hampden,Dorchester etc would never entertain the idea, and with it being so close to Berinsfield the Security costs would be extorionate.
Oxfordchick, Oxford says...
3:00pm Fri 12 Mar 10
camden wrote:Please can you explain why the security costs would go up because the location is close to Berinsfield ??????????
Hugh Jaeger wrote: Berinsfield has the only biker café in the whole of Oxfordshire. It has great social value and in recent years both the café and the club have worked hard to support motorcycle safetly and deter the minority who ride anti-socially. The café is also key to the viability of all other trade and employment on the site. Tesco is an unscrupulous oligopoly that has too many stores in Oxfordshire already. Asda's parent company are a bunch of gun-sellers who are infamous for putting many hundreds of local independent traders out of business all over the USA. Allowing either of those retail bullies into Berinsfoeld could threaten all the local traders who serve the village. Berinsfield is a rare surviving example of the many café's that started more than half a century ago as truck stops and then were adopted by bikers. The Busy Bee, Halfway House and Saltbox have gone. The Ace Café has been ponced up, given a bar licence and shamelessly been reduced to a fashion "brand". Berinsfield's café, despite changing names too many times, has remained a traditional "caff" where all types of motorcyclists can feel they belong. It is an unique institution that deserves to survive.I trust you will be bidding to buy and run it then? With the present economic climate no one in their right mind would lease a cafe whose main income is from fair weather weekend bikers. As for Tesco or Asda. Not a cat in hells chance. The NIMBY councillors from Burcot Clifton Hampden,Dorchester etc would never entertain the idea, and with it being so close to Berinsfield the Security costs would be extorionate.
I'm intrigued?!?!
ohreally?, says...
1:12am Mon 15 Mar 10
For the person wanting to know about security issues in Berinsfield, its not that bad, but people are snobs. Its not as wealthy and people talk about it a manner akin to the poor kid being picked on at school.
Err look at Berinsfield, its got estates and tracksuits and minority groups. Its not even got any period features. Oi berinsfield, they been filming midsummer murders round yours recently, NAH didnt think so.
Lord Palmerston, Weston Turville says...
3:28pm Wed 17 Mar 10
You may not like Tesco but it's not an oligopoly-because it's only a single organization.
Dickie256, oxford says...
11:55am Thu 18 Mar 10
Dickie256, oxford says...
11:57am Thu 18 Mar 10
Sean Harris
The H Cafe near Berinsfield
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Joe Cooke, Oxford says...
11:42am Thu 11 Mar 10