News

Uncertainty surrounds the future of beloved student pub The Captain Cook Tavern, with DB Breweries’ lease of the bar due to run out on 29 June. The current sub-lessees, the Cook Brothers, have indicated that they do not intend to renew while OUSA have denied any bid to pick up the lease. However, Critic can exclusively reveal that dis- cussions between OUSA and the University on purchasing the lease have already taken place.

Noel Kennedy, one of the three directors of Orari Street Properties Investments Ltd, the company that owns the premises, told the Otago Daily Times that “we will be fighting to make sure [the Cook’s closure] never happens under our watch.” While nothing had been “finalised,” various parties were being spoken to about taking over the lease.

Critic can confirm that senior figures from both OUSA and the University met over the summer to discuss the possibility of purchasing the Cook and turning it into a student-run pub and venue. At the time, both parties were in support of the plan. However, further developments as well as the details of any eventual deal have been kept firmly under wraps.

University figures have remained tight-lipped about any potential involvement in picking up the Cook’s lease. Critic asked Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne for her views on the University acquiring control of the Cook, and received a generic statement indicating abso- lutely nothing of use except the blatantly obvi- ous. “The University appreciates the importance of the Cook to our student community. We would be delighted to see it continue as a pub under responsible host management.”

Critic sought further comment but met its match in Prof. Hayne’s secretary, who displayed the kind of cheerfully malevolent stonewalling usually reserved for diabolical freemasons and fascist French bureaucrats.

Undeterred, Critic then spoke to figures within OUSA. OUSA Communications Manager Alasdair Johnston told Critic that “the OUSA Executive has at this stage not heard any motions regarding the purchase of a pub.”

Last year’s Executive was notorious for bringing motions only once the issue in question had been thoroughly settled behind the scenes. Therefore, the absence of any motion about purchasing the Cook may in fact signify very little.

Critic then asked OUSA President Francisco Her- nandez whether a Cook Revival Campaign would be pitched to the Executive. Hernandez took as vague a position as possible and indicated that he would “follow the will of the student body.” Critic would like to point out that this is basically his job description.

Hernandez acknowledged, however, that the broad sentiment from students was in favour of retaining the Cook, and encouraged students to start a referendum in order to “suggest a stance” that OUSA might be able to take. “We hope the next stage for the Captain Cook will see it continue to be a solid student-focused venue providing a safe and fun place for students to gather.”

Cook Brothers Director Richard McLeod reasoned that a site as huge as the Cook was no longer viable given the changing climate and culture of student drinking. “Historically, [the Cook] was successful but the market has changed a lot and we’re now left with a rental for a market from five or six years ago.” While McLeod maintained that he was keen to see the Cook continue he could not “see it continuing in its current shape or form.”

When asked what the loss of their namesake would mean for the Cook Brothers Brand, McLeod was confident that there was “enough momentum now” with their other ventures that would counteract any damage to the brand. He acknowledged that although the Cook Brothers have tried to “come up with a solution,” they had “failed.”

The latest uncertainty over the Cook’s future comes after the closure of the other two of North Dunedin’s traditional “big three” pubs. The Bowling Green Tavern (the Bowler) closed in 2009 and the Gardens Tavern (Gardies) closed in 2010. Both were purchased by the University and converted into drab pits of despair. Rumours have also been swirling around the potential closure of Crawford Street venue Sammy’s. However, Sammy’s recently announced its “2013 re-launch party,” indicating that its future may be relatively secure.