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24th July 2006
Preparations are well underway for the 9th Annual Beer Festival. Once again this popular local event has everything with a superb selection of real ales, good food and live music. This year profits from the sale of souvenir glasses will go to Essex Air Ambulance. See the festival website for more details.
16th March 2006
With a direct agreement from the owners the pub is open again and looking great! A roaring fire helps warm the happy regulars as they enjoy an evening drink. There is huge support for the local management team that has struck a deal to open the pub.
3rd March 2006
Groundhog Day - it seems that Haven Hotels plc are insolvent and the pub has been told to close by the administrators. There has been no official confirmation of the status of Haven Hotels plc and regulars wait for news of the future.
5th February 2006
Whatever problems exist at Haven Hotels plc the pub is very much open and planning for the future. Five real ales continue to take centre stage on the bar and great value home-cooked food is available.
27th January 2006
It has been confirmed that a petition to wind up Haven Hotels plc is scheduled to be heard in Manchester on 20th February 2006 and some creditors have had severe difficulty extracting payment from the company with some debts remaining unpaid after a number of months. The pub sign remains at a precarious angle having been like that for many months. Popular ex-landlord Mike Haslam is rumoured to have left Haven and people owed money report that the company will not answer any form of communication whatsoever.
24th January 2006
After a period of some instability including the departure of Mike Haslam and his long-term replacement Lee Clowes the pub has lurched from the sublime to the ridiculous with two recent periods of forced closure due to problems with the new licence application. When open the pub is excellent but rumours that a petition to wind up Haven Hotels plc is soon to be presented and that the company have had some long-standing debts to well-known and respected local suppliers are causing great concern in the local community.
31st July 2005
People keep asking why the site doesn't get updated so regularly - the answer - because we're all down the pub! There are still 5 real ales with Adnams Best and Fullers London pride supported by a continuously rotating clutch of beers from SIBA microbreweries. The New Food Menu is a great hit with carefully prepared home-cooked food back on the agenda the pub is now complete once more. No details here I'm afraid you'll just have to call in!
31st May 2005
9 weeks after the pub reopened new managers have arrived and the kitchen is set to reopen soon. Opening hours are 11am to 2.30pm and 5pm to 11pm Monday to Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. Locals gave a warm send-off to Haven Area Manager Mike Haslam whose excellent stewardship of the pub after reopening has not only set the establishment back on its feet but actually greatly improved its fortunes - many thanks and well done Mike!!
All eyes are now on the 8th Annual Beer Festival and Hog Roast - see the Events page for details.
22nd May 2005
The annual Tour de Tendring charity cycle ride saw the Cherry Tree field a 10-strong team maintaining the tradition started by Steve Chandler. The pub acted as an important refreshment stop for many riders and the day was another huge success.
24th April 2005
The official opening yesterday has been hailed a massive success with the pub full to the rafters and a fantastic atmosphere. All eyes are now on the Tour de Tendring on Sunday 22nd May when pub team the Cherryatrics will once again take to the pretty country roads of Tendring for a 20 mile cycle ride for charity - continuing the tradition started by ex-landlord Steve Chandler. After all the recent uncertainty the pub team wants to do really well this year to honour Steve's memory. If you want to ride or sponsor the team please, please get in touch.
More dates for the diary - Friday 17th to Sunday 19th June sees the pub's 8th annual beer festival with a total of 17 real ales available. Watch this page for details.
22nd April 2005
Tomorrow sees the official opening of the pub with 8 real ales - some with a St. George's Day theme - available. There is also a bouncy castle in the day for the kids and a buffet in the evening. The real ales available are as follows:
| Adnams Bitter | 3.7% | details |
| Bank Top Old Slapper | 4.2% | details |
| Bank Top Dark Mild | 4.0% | details |
| Black Sheep Bitter | 3.8% | details |
| Fullers London Pride | 4.1% | details |
| Hook Norton 303AD | 4.0% | details |
| Mighty Oak Maldon Gold | 3.8% | details |
| Titanic English Glory | 4.5% | details |
15th April 2005
The funeral of Steve Chandler, the pub's legendary ex-landlord, took place yesterday. Locals are determined that his life and work will be remembered by making sure the pub stays a thriving and enjoyable place to meet - starting with the official reopening on 23rd April.
1st April 2005
27th March 2005
It appears that Inn2gether are still trading but all pubs in their estate owned by Barton Industrial Estates Ltd. (believed to total 7) have been seized and leased to Haven in the same way as the Cherry Tree. The new operators seem very keen to get the pub open again.
26th March 2005
An important development appears to have taken place. Two notices have appeared in the front windows of the pub proclaiming that the "premises and all the (sic) their contents including cash and stock have been seized by Newboulds bailiffs on behalf of the proprieter." The freeholders are named as Barton Industrial Estates Ltd. and, according to the notice, they have leased the pub to Haven Hotels plc and instructed them to commence trading. The second notice states "Haven Hotels has purchased this public house. We are sorry for the closure and hope we can have this bar open as soon as possible." This notice goes on to give the mobile phone numbers of both the Area manager and Managing Director of Haven Hotels. It is certainly clear that bailiffs have entered the premises and several locals have spoken to Mike Haslam, the Area Manger of Haven Hotels. There is hope that the pub will reopen soon.
23rd March 2005 (6 weeks after closure)
The external lighting no longer comes on at night suggesting more activity inside but the pub stays firmly closed with no date for reopening. The Tour de Tendring charity cycle ride is a little over eight weeks away and so it is looking increasingly unlikely that the pub will field a team this year.
16th March 2005 (5 weeks after closure)
Local M.P. Ivan Henderson has replied to Inn2gether's letter strongly confirming that locals wish the Cherry Tree to stay as a public house and, in order to prove that the pub was losing money, has asked if the company will make the accounts covering the last 18 months available for public examination. It has been rumoured that Inn2gether staff have visited the site as, confusingly, some external lighting is now illuminated at night but no date has yet been given for reopening.
9th March 2005 (4 weeks after closure)
Inn2gether have contacted many people that have written to the company to complain and have issued the same statement to the press. The letters take one of two standard forms and state that the pub was closed as it was losing money. It has been promised, however, that the pub will be reopened "as quickly as possible" although no date has been set. It has still not been confirmed whether Inn2gether actually own the pub or the lease or what degree of independence is afforded to the appointed managers. The communications also state that an alternative use may be found for the premises if, upon reopening, the pub continues not to meet Inn2gether's targets. Many locals are angry at the accusation that they didn't support the pub and at Inn2gether's suggestion that the premises might be more profitable as a hostel. The news that the pub will reopen however has been greeted with enthusiasm.
2nd March 2005 (3 weeks after closure)
The pub is still closed. There is no sign of the promised maintenance work and despite contact from various local groups and individuals the directors and management of Inn2gether have given no date for reopening. There are rumours of an annual rent of £45,000 and it has been suggested that Inn2gether own neither the property nor the lease but did set up the purchase, lease and sale in the first place leaving themselves as "operators", allegedly generating a tidy profit for the company. Unfortunately for the loyal staff Inn2gether's solicitors have informed them that the managers were self-employed and responsible for staff contracts and the solicitors have been instructed to defend any claims made against Inn2gether.
9th February 2005
Ye Olde Cherry Tree, Little Oakley is closed for business after the managers resign and leave.