Edinburgh pub The Railway Inn in Juniper Green up for sale after 30 years in family's hands

Family forced to sell Edinburgh pub due to rising prices and other issues – including Brexit

A family that has run an Edinburgh pub for 30 years has been forced to put it up for sale as the cost of living crisis bites and makes trading more and more difficult to continue.

The Railway Inn at Lanark Road in Juniper Green is up for sale for £515,000, after owners Darren Love and Corinne Jones made the difficult decision to close due to rising costs and dwindling customer numbers. The couple took on the pub five years ago from Darren’s uncle Alistair Love, who had ran the pub for 25 years.

Speaking to the Evening News, Darren explained how difficult it had become to continue to run the Railway Inn. He said: “The whole industry is struggling just now. Covid, utilities bills going through the roof, stock and supplies going up in price every month and footfall going down. We have an older clientele and a lot of them aren’t in as much as they used to be.

Darren Love and Corinne Jones, owners of the Railway Inn, have been forced to sell the Juniper Green pub.

"I know what it’s like in our own household just now, cutting back on things, people can’t afford to go out as much nowadays. And we had to do catering ourselves as we couldn’t get the staff to do it anymore. Brexit had a big impact, as a lot of chefs and porters left, so that’s been a big problem. The whole area is struggling. A restaurant and a hairdressers here are also up for sale.

"So it’s not just one specific reason that we’ve put the pub up for sale, it’s an amalgamation of things happening just now. I have been told it’s not just us, there’s pubs shutting left, right and centre. Our time with the pub has been good overall, we have great memories. It’s soul destroying and heartbreaking to put it up for sale, but we want to thank our regular customers for continuing to support us.”

The Railway Inn comprises a large lounge with bar seating along with the bar and restaurant area. The premises has a kitchen area, cellar and ladies and gent toilets. While a main feature is the pub’s good sized beer garden.

Darren now hopes that somebody will buy the pub and take it forward after he and Corinne had to “face reality” and put the pub up for sale.

He said: "We have tried to hold on to it but had to face reality. We hope somebody comes in and picks it up, revamps the pub, as it’s got potential, but needs a bit of money spent on it. Re-introducing food would be a big way forward. When it's sunny that helps, due to our beer garden, which was packed at the weekend when the sun came out.

"It’s really sad though to put the pub up for sale, it’s a decision we didn’t take lightly. We just can’t do anymore for this pub. I had my first pint here when I was 18 and my first bar tending role was in here. But it’s not just our business, it’s our life, so we have to look at doing other jobs now, whether that’s driving jobs or whatever.”