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Cambridge’s smallest pub, The Rad, closes doors after revamp




Cambridge’s smallest pub, The St Radegund on King Street, has closed just seven months after opening its doors following a complete refurbishment.

The pub, which had been renamed The Rad after a four year renovation, confirmed its closure in a social media post on Sunday (October 20).

The Rad pub in King Street Picture: Keith Heppell
The Rad pub in King Street Picture: Keith Heppell

It had only reopened in March and was primarily beer-focused with 25 taps offering everything from hoppy IPAs and imperial stouts to cask ales and fruited sour beers.

But one of the landlords has confirmed that the burden of the renovation work had proven too much to carry on.

Yvan Seth, of Coldchain Bars, who were behind the refurbishment, said in a statement on X: “ Sadly, the Rad is closed. But the building is in the best shape it has been in in decades, of that I have no doubt. I'm sure others not so burdened by the weight of the difficult years and renovation work will make something of the blank canvas we created.”

He added: “Unfortunately the cost of making the building functional was too high, the debts too heavy. We’d even paid the rent for most of the time we were working on the building but were falling behind after opening. All in all it added up to more than we and the pub business could handle, we’re drained dry.

“I felt we were close to being able to make it work, but then again even if we had it would have been a lot of work just to service years worth of debt.

“I hope someone, or some people, unburdened by the debts of fixing the building, can finish the job.”

And he closed by saying: “After over three weird and difficult years working on the site, literally digging up its secrets, immersing myself in its history, rebuilding it - over thousands of hours - this hits me harder than the end of the business I invested over 10 years of my life in. C'est la vie.”

The building has a long history, and during the renovation the team discovered square head nails and cigarette boxes from the 17th and 18th centuries under the floorboards and behind the plasterboard walls.

There were also rusted stoves and bells used by people to call from rooms when it was the Garrick Head Inn, demolished in the early 1900s.

The pub is named after St Radegund, a Frankish saint associated with the nearby Jesus College.

It is owned by United Cambridge Charities. They were approached for comment.




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