The legendary Bushy’s TT beer tent, a favourite destination
for thirsty bike racing fans from all over the world, has been evicted from its
long-established location on the promenade of Manx capital Douglas.
Bushy’s huge pop-up hostelry has been a major TT attraction
on the Bottleneck Car Park next to the Island’s ferry terminal for two decades,
ever since the original Bushy’s Bar across the road closed down.
The former
Yates Wine Lodge building it occupied, with Bushy’s ales brewed in the cellar,
was redeveloped into offices.
However, Bottleneck site owner Douglas Corporation launched
a competitive tendering process for its use from 2018 onwards. Bushy’s, which
had created and developed the whole concept, was outbid by another Manx
brewery, Hooded Ram. The majority shareholder in Hooded Ram is Indian
entrepreneur Raj Chatha, a Manx-based tax exile who also owns the UK’s
nationwide Oddbins off-licence chain.
In a statement, Bushy’s Brewery supremo Martin
Brunnschweiler expressed his disappointment but said this setback doesn’t mean
the end for the extremely popular Bushy’s TT beer tent formula.
Following the
local authority’s decision to put his traditional site up for grabs, he began
contingency planning to cope with just such an outcome.
“Although at this stage we cannot say where the beer tent
will be during TT 2018, preparations are in place to ensure Bushy’s remains at
the heart of TT entertainment,” Brunnschweiler added. “We look
forward to seeing friends old and new next year.”
