King's Arms in Caister closes down over rising costs

Julia and Stewart Bason ran the King's Arms, on West Road in Caister, for the last five years.

But the couple have decided to not renew their lease with owners the Stonegate Group.

Ms Bason, 44, said: "With the offer to renew, the costs were astronomical, double what I paid when I went in."

When the couple first took over the pub, in August 2019, the cost for allowing them buy wine from a brewery other than Stonegate was £800 a year - but this was going up to £2,500, she said.

For spirits, the price was increasing from £3,000 to £6,000.

"Only a mug would have re-signed the deal," Ms Bason said.

"It was not going to be financially viable to take on another lease so I packed up and moved."

A spokesperson for Stonegate Group, said: "We can confirm the Kings Arms in Caister has temporarily shut its doors from the August 27 while we actively recruit for a new publican to run the much-loved pub."

Stewart and Julia Bason, former landlords of the King's Arms in Caister. (Image: Supplied)

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Ms Bason said she has "mixed feelings" leaving the pub.

"I miss the people already. I have met some of the most fantastic people."

Customers helped her through tough times including the death of her father and a back injury she suffered in a car crash.

"They're a fantastic group of customers."

The couple, originally from Watford, have now moved to Oulton Broad and are planning to go on holiday.

Despite the departure, Ms Bason has fond feelings for the pub itself.

"I do hope that it reopens because I would like to go back as a customer and be on the other side of the bar," she said.

"There isn't a pub in Caister quite like the King's Arms."

The Gate pub in Caister. (Image: Newsquest)

Stormy Seas for Caister Pubs

The pub scene in Caister has seen a wave of changes over the past couple of years, marked by closures, reopenings, and ownership shifts.  

The Gate, a well-known local spot, reopened in February this year following a £200,000 refurbishment.  

However, this was not the first time the pub had attempted a revival.  

In January last year, only two months after a previous reopening, the building was boarded up, with metal gates placed over the doors and windows by its owners, the Stonegate Group. 

In April, a new landlord took over, but management changed hands again in September – with the venue swapping landlords three times over the previous 11 months. 

Similarly, The Ship Inn, also owned by Stonegate, faced its own set of difficulties. After closing in November 2022 due to declining footfall and soaring electricity bills, the pub's future seemed uncertain.  

However, it found new life under new ownership in December 2023.