The owners of a popular Ipswich pub rumoured to be closing have finally broken their silence – but mystery remains surrounding its future.
Following speculation over the future of The Swan pub in Ipswich town centre, famous for its live music, the owners have confirmed that they are “currently in talks” with their partner at the venue.
Landlord David Yates referred our enquiries to building owners EI Publican Partnerships, who did not originally comment but have since released a statement.
A spokesperson from Ei Group said: “We are currently in talks with our partner at The Swan, Ipswich and hope to reach a solution as soon as possible.”
Ed Sheeran famously performed at The Swan, in King Street, in 2010 before becoming a global superstar.
Rumours began to spread after the pub did not open on several days this week, with speculation mounting on social media over whether it has called last orders.
Some said if The Swan had closed it was a sad day for the town. One customer wrote: “Such sad news, always our favourite pub in town and always had a drink there when we went out.”
The Swan, which could have been built as early as 1689, stands on Kings Street. Major alterations were made to the establishment in 1707 and it was listed as “The White Swan” in 1839.
The pub’s stage has been graced by the likes of Mumford and Sons, Slaves and Lonely the Brave, and it was also a frequent supporter of local acts with it’s own annual festival Swanfest becoming a permanent fixture.
The pub also held a three-day live music festival as recently as July 27.
Of late The Swan has been showing-off Suffolk’s collection of metal bands but it was once a venue for the now world renowned superstar Ed Sheeran.
The singer-songwriter can be seen in old Youtube footage performing original versions of his hit songs “The A-Team” and “You Need Me” in the pub in 2010.
The gig ended up being taken out onto the pavement outside, with a small band of fans following the Suffolk singer-songwriter as he performed more songs.
Uncertainty over the future of the pub comes just weeks after the Office for National Statistics figures showed that Ipswich had lost more than a quarter of its pubs since 2010.
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