A foodies pub in north Oxford is the subject of discussions about community ownership.

The Anchor in Hayfield Road is owned by Wadworth and has seasonal menus, Wadworth beers, and a large wine selection.

It features one of the largest heated pub gardens in Oxford with a cozy snug area.

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Residents in Hayfield Road held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of making a bid for community ownership as they understand that the current management may be considering moving.

There are a number of 'community-owned' pubs across Oxfordshire, including the Lamb & Flag in St Giles and the White Hart in Wolvercote.

Oxford Mail: Inside The AnchorMungo Dunnett, who lives in Oxford, attended the meeting.

He said: "The Anchor has been part of the landscape for many years and is much loved.

"But the current leaseholder may be moving on and we feel its future may be in a slightly different offering that works for this area as it changing.

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"We are thinking about what that might look like and whether that is a thing that might be of interest to Wadworth which owns the site.

Oxford Mail: Pizzas at The Anchor"We are intending to sound out Wadworth on this in the next few days."

The management at The Anchor has not yet commented.

Community ownership has saved some pubs from closing.

The Lamb & Flag in St Giles, owned by St John's College, shut suddenly in the pandemic as it wasn't making enough money.

But a community interest group called The Inklings stepped in to run the pub and it reopened last year.

And The White Hart in Wolvercote has been community-run for about 10 years.

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In 2013, The White Hart Community Pub Limited was set up by Wolvercote residents to run The White Hart as a community hub.

Oxford Mail: Outside The AnchorDave Richardson, a spokesman for Oxford CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), said: "The Anchor is owned by Wadworth brewery but if it decides to sell it, then local people will be in a stronger position if they can get an Asset of Community Value order in place now.

“I would think its future as a pub is secure whoever runs it.

"Community ownership is now established at 10 pubs in Oxfordshire, and while it works best in a village setting, there’s no reason why it couldn’t work in North Oxford and there’s plenty of advice on the CAMRA website.

Oxford Mail: The Anchor pub"But other pub groups could be interested too.”

Following the meeting residents have been discussing the process of how to go about launching a bid for community ownership, how to fundraise, and the potential costs involved. 

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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