Max Greenwood given licence to open The Rockstone pub in Southampton

Max Greenwood and The Rockstone public house in Bevois Valley Max Greenwood and The Rockstone public house in Bevois Valley

A Southampton pub that has been standing empty for 18 months is set to finally reopen after councillors granted it a licence.

As reported in the Daily Echo, more than 600 people had backed Max Greenwood’s bid to open The Rockstone in Bevois Valley, which was formerly the Bevois Castle.

Yesterday, members of Southampton City Council’s licensing committee agreed he should be allowed to open the pub, which the trained chef says will be “a country pub in the city” aimed at non-students.

And they gave Max permission to open until midnight on weekdays and 1am until on Fridays and Saturdays.

Police and environmental health officers had raised concerns that The Rockstone would add to anti-social behaviour and crime in the area.

But the panel members said they did not believe the food-led pub would lead to further problems, and would not be a late-night drinking establishment.

It is thought Max now hopes to open The Rockstone before Christmas.

Comments(20)

bigfella777 says...
7:16am Fri 2 Dec 11

Well done, common sense rules.

clare farmer says...
7:29am Fri 2 Dec 11

Menu please? Will there be a Facebook page? About time there were some grown up pubs in the area.

Stillness says...
9:24am Fri 2 Dec 11

clare farmer wrote:
Menu please? Will there be a Facebook page? About time there were some grown up pubs in the area.
Menu please, good beer please, good atmosphere please. Facebook page, I don't think I'm going to worry about that.

Condor Man says...
9:34am Fri 2 Dec 11

You could call The Cowherds or The Crown country pubs in the city but few others in Southampton would qualify.

mr.southampton says...
10:30am Fri 2 Dec 11

A food-led pub in Bevois Valley?

Either he's talking out of his behind, or else he's going to lose a lot of money

ToastyTea says...
12:45pm Fri 2 Dec 11

I like the idea of this pub and will certainly make a visit (probably after Saints games). Not sure how having no jukebox/pool table etc will help making it non student though as it's in the heart of student land and can still see the smelly kids visiting unfortunately.

becksbeare says...
1:09pm Fri 2 Dec 11

No TV's? Fantastic! Will definitely be visiting...

Stillness says...
1:15pm Fri 2 Dec 11

I was going to say no Saints fans but I see that's not going to happen lol.

dolomiteman says...
1:15pm Fri 2 Dec 11

Well done Max, hurry up and open the doors.

Here, There says...
1:28pm Fri 2 Dec 11

Good Luck with qualifying your customers, I would struggle with knowing a student from any other 18-25 year old, awareness of a venue being open until late hours attracts ALL kinds, are Polish allowed in because they outnumber Students in this area.......why are Students being discouraged from drinking in this pub ?

ShakeyWiffles says...
2:46pm Fri 2 Dec 11

Here, There wrote:
Good Luck with qualifying your customers, I would struggle with knowing a student from any other 18-25 year old, awareness of a venue being open until late hours attracts ALL kinds, are Polish allowed in because they outnumber Students in this area.......why are Students being discouraged from drinking in this pub ?
He doesn't mean students per se. Just the ones that obviously go out to get drunk! He wont be doing cheap deals and will only be selling premium spirits, wines and ales. They will be NO Stella available (much like our pub was) Plus I hardly think midnight and 1am Friday and Saturday is late night.

My reply to mr.southampton is No, He's not. People are crying out for a non-student venue in Bevois Valley! What's the guessing you hardly ever frequent the place or bother talking to people about it?

Well done Max, Steph and Chris (and any others that I may have missed out) Can't wait until you open. This is one 27/28 year old that has been waiting for somewhere like this to open since I was around 24!

dizzychick says...
3:23pm Fri 2 Dec 11

will be checking it out.

mr.southampton says...
4:10pm Fri 2 Dec 11

ShakeyWiffles wrote:
Here, There wrote:
Good Luck with qualifying your customers, I would struggle with knowing a student from any other 18-25 year old, awareness of a venue being open until late hours attracts ALL kinds, are Polish allowed in because they outnumber Students in this area.......why are Students being discouraged from drinking in this pub ?
He doesn't mean students per se. Just the ones that obviously go out to get drunk! He wont be doing cheap deals and will only be selling premium spirits, wines and ales. They will be NO Stella available (much like our pub was) Plus I hardly think midnight and 1am Friday and Saturday is late night.

My reply to mr.southampton is No, He's not. People are crying out for a non-student venue in Bevois Valley! What's the guessing you hardly ever frequent the place or bother talking to people about it?

Well done Max, Steph and Chris (and any others that I may have missed out) Can't wait until you open. This is one 27/28 year old that has been waiting for somewhere like this to open since I was around 24!
I've spent more years in the valley than I care to remember so know the place pretty well.

The thing is lots of pubs and clubs start out with a clientelle in mind, but when it comes to survival then they cater for whoever they can get through the door.

If he wants to create a decent foodie place then best of luck to him, but ultimately time will tell.

Stillness says...
4:34pm Fri 2 Dec 11

mr.southampton wrote:
ShakeyWiffles wrote:
Here, There wrote:
Good Luck with qualifying your customers, I would struggle with knowing a student from any other 18-25 year old, awareness of a venue being open until late hours attracts ALL kinds, are Polish allowed in because they outnumber Students in this area.......why are Students being discouraged from drinking in this pub ?
He doesn't mean students per se. Just the ones that obviously go out to get drunk! He wont be doing cheap deals and will only be selling premium spirits, wines and ales. They will be NO Stella available (much like our pub was) Plus I hardly think midnight and 1am Friday and Saturday is late night.

My reply to mr.southampton is No, He's not. People are crying out for a non-student venue in Bevois Valley! What's the guessing you hardly ever frequent the place or bother talking to people about it?

Well done Max, Steph and Chris (and any others that I may have missed out) Can't wait until you open. This is one 27/28 year old that has been waiting for somewhere like this to open since I was around 24!
I've spent more years in the valley than I care to remember so know the place pretty well.

The thing is lots of pubs and clubs start out with a clientelle in mind, but when it comes to survival then they cater for whoever they can get through the door.

If he wants to create a decent foodie place then best of luck to him, but ultimately time will tell.
Let's ask time then.

Here, There says...
5:04pm Fri 2 Dec 11

We are a culture that goes 'out to get drunk', which inprinciple should not be a problem, I go out and get drunk alot, what I don't do when drunk is smash people or places then use the fact I had a drink to try and justify it, lets be clear his plans are all good in theory but the pub is on Onslow road so in practice he will struggle to get the clientele he and very many other publicans desire, just glad he doesn't work at a swimming baths, he might want people to go there and not get wet

SOULJACKER says...
5:32pm Fri 2 Dec 11

mr.southampton wrote:
ShakeyWiffles wrote:
Here, There wrote:
Good Luck with qualifying your customers, I would struggle with knowing a student from any other 18-25 year old, awareness of a venue being open until late hours attracts ALL kinds, are Polish allowed in because they outnumber Students in this area.......why are Students being discouraged from drinking in this pub ?
He doesn't mean students per se. Just the ones that obviously go out to get drunk! He wont be doing cheap deals and will only be selling premium spirits, wines and ales. They will be NO Stella available (much like our pub was) Plus I hardly think midnight and 1am Friday and Saturday is late night.

My reply to mr.southampton is No, He's not. People are crying out for a non-student venue in Bevois Valley! What's the guessing you hardly ever frequent the place or bother talking to people about it?

Well done Max, Steph and Chris (and any others that I may have missed out) Can't wait until you open. This is one 27/28 year old that has been waiting for somewhere like this to open since I was around 24!
I've spent more years in the valley than I care to remember so know the place pretty well.

The thing is lots of pubs and clubs start out with a clientelle in mind, but when it comes to survival then they cater for whoever they can get through the door.

If he wants to create a decent foodie place then best of luck to him, but ultimately time will tell.
It's nice that us locals can have somewhere to go without drunken students & Poles everywhere.......tha
t said, most of them are drunk but not too much bother.

With all the flowers outside the place now I bet the "Rockstone laners" are real stuck for somewhere to park their cars......for that matter where is Max gonna park that big old cop car of his??

Anyways, good luck max & it's about time :D

Bevois Valley Resident says...
5:39pm Fri 2 Dec 11

Given that most people in Rockstone Lane are really looking forward to the pub opening I don't think Max is going to be short of grown up customers who aren't looking to get wasted.
Also, the Shooting Star, The Guide Dog and The Avenue all manage to be successful without pandering to people who just want to get wasted.

ShakeyWiffles says...
8:31pm Fri 2 Dec 11

Here, There wrote:
We are a culture that goes 'out to get drunk', which inprinciple should not be a problem, I go out and get drunk alot, what I don't do when drunk is smash people or places then use the fact I had a drink to try and justify it, lets be clear his plans are all good in theory but the pub is on Onslow road so in practice he will struggle to get the clientele he and very many other publicans desire, just glad he doesn't work at a swimming baths, he might want people to go there and not get wet
That is the most stupid comment I have ever read on the Echo.......and that includes a few from the blue few

SotonGreen says...
12:59pm Sat 3 Dec 11

I wont be going if it is going to be frequented by saints fans post match. I would as a local resident love to see a food pub in Bevois serving good beer and spirits.

Saints fans in my experience are almost universally bad news in a pub environment at least.

Matt Probert says...
6:56pm Sun 4 Dec 11

I know a lot of "grown ups" who go out to get wasted (and some of them go to the Guide Dog). They are neither students nor Poles, they are losers. To tar all students and Poles as undesireable is both pathetic and sickening.

Good luck with the pub, its about time we had a decent food outlet NOT serving freezer to microwave Brake Bros crap. Any danger of that, chef? Just simple, home cooked and home prepared real food at prices real people can afford? Perhaps Spaghetti Bolognaise, or chicken casserole, or steak and kidney pudding, lamb cutlets, pork chops, cauliflower cheese...etc

Matt

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