by Tony (Show email address.)

A Croydon Nutritionist, CAMRA , Croydon Vegetarians and local residents are joining together to try to save a 300 year old grade 2 listed traditional London pub in Croydon – The Rose & Crown

Foods for Life "A Grade 2 listed building - The Rose and Crown Pub in Church Street Croydon has been closed and it's brewery owners are inviting offers for it's sale and redevelopment.

It appears the owners have allowed the pub property to deteriorate, perhaps in an effort to allow a major redevelopment of the site and turn it into a block of offices or flats.
Gutters have been left over-flowing so that they have become filled up with grass, widows are broken and there are many leaks in the Pub's roof.
A local Croydon Nutritionist and her husband have an exciting plan for the pub but need help from an entrepreneur or business angel to help raise capital to finance the Croydon project.

Local Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston used to run the Cranks restaurant chain in London. Her husband Tony used to run an award winning Hotel in Scotland. They have written a number of healthy eating books between them and have a dream to turn the pub into a hub of the old town Croydon community. They have visions of it becoming something between a health and education centre and an organic pub with the most delicious and healthy food this side of New York. "We want a pub where the whole family can go. A place where if you are inspired by our brand of nutritious and delicious food you can come and learn more about it with health and nutrition cookery classes and optimal health personal development courses." says Yvonne.

Tony says "The building has so many unique features, the bar is amazing with stained glass, carved wood and original features. It would be tragic to lose this bit of Croydon's history, the pub is even older than Croydon's Surrey street fruit and vegetable market"

"We are looking for investors who will help us renovate the building in an environmentally friendly and sympathetic way and turn it into a community flag ship that inspires and motivates other Londoners to adopt a greener, fairer, more ethically aware and healthier lifestyles."

"It's crazy that there are vegetarian pubs in Brighton and Glasgow but nothing in London yet" says Yvonne "Our vision is that although it's foremost a pub selling organic beer we also sell the very best non alcoholic drinks and incorporate an awesome juice bar too for cocktails that could change your life. We hope to attract people and parts of the community that you don't often see in traditional pubs and make it more about the food, meeting people, the art, the music and the personal development rather than just the excellent organic ales, whiskey and wines."

Bob Steel, Croydon pubs officer from the Campaign for Real Ale, pledges to join the campaign to save Coydon's Rose and Crown "to do whatever we can to safeguard this important part of Croydon’s heritage- the interior of the R&C is the most intact of any Croydon pub and it would be a tragedy if it were lost."

Source: BBC Action