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Ipswich Bar A to Z
Ipswich Bar A to Z
also traded as Flour & Firkin, Edward's Bar, Lakota, Colman's, Bar Sport
South West, 52.05827,1.15653
closed 18th December 2016
Closed after police asked for its license to be reviewed.
opened 1998
last owner/operator: Mitchells & Butlers / Mitchells & Butlers
1 Great Colman St, IP4 2AA
grid reference TM 164 446
This large shop unit was converted in 1998 into the Flour & Firkin, part of the large chain of Firkin pubs which had grown out of David Bruce's original small brewpub chain. Unfortunately, by the time this opened, Bruce had sold the business and it was owned by the massive Allied Domeq group. The original concept had been a chain of pubs which all had their own in-house breweries but by then this had been abandoned and beers here were supplied from the Finnesco & Firkin (previously and latterly the Reindeer) in Norwich and were of very poor quality.
After the Firkin brand collapsed in 2001, the pub went through a number of identities, none of which was likely to be of interest to Real Ale drinkers. Unfortunately the building was also allowed to deteriorate by its owners and as its condition got worse, the occupying bars became progressively seedier. By the time its last identity (the appalling Pump & Grind) closed there had been protracted disputes between the operator and the building's owners over its maintenance.
It seems highly improbable that this will ever reopen as a pub and given its history, it's hard to be sad about the fact.
Gallery
Historical interest
This pub opened as the Flour & Firkin in 1998 after conversion from a toy shop. The Firkin pub chain expanded rapidly in late 1990s and specialised in brewing their own real ale in-house, although this outlet never had it's own brewery (beers were produced at one of the Norwich Firkins). Since then it has been used as a late night music bar under many names (originally as Edward's, renamed Lakota late 2009).
The name changed again early 2011 to Colman's, then early 2012 to Bar Sport. It took its current name in 2015.
(Most pub, location & historic details collated by Nigel, Tony or Keith - original sources are credited)