New tenant bids to put historic Kirkcaldy pub, the Fife Arms, at heart of community

Derek Holmes has taken over the premises in St Clair Street, and he wants to put it back at the heart of its community. The pub, housed in a C-listed building at the top of St Clair Street, has been serving pints for generations, drawing its custom from the Gallatown.

Derek left behind a 20-year career in the call centre sector to take on the his new role, but working behind a bar isn’t new to him.,

“I grew up in a hotel, and have worked in pubs since I was 18 - a few of them around Kirkcaldy,” he said. “I went past the Fife Arms while walking my dogs every day and saw it was on the market. I got in touch with the brewery and took redundancy from my job and decided to make the leap.”

Derek’s mum ran the kitchen at the Fife Arms in the 1990s, and his family connections go back further - he recalls his dad drinking there in the 1960s when it was known as Greens.

“It really is a place people know,” he said. “It is a well established pub with a real sense of history and support from its regulars. They have been great since I took over - I’ve have been busy trying to find my feet and see what works. I do want to make the pub the heart of the Gallatown, and want to make sure we don’t clash with what other pubs are doing.

“We have a really mixed demographic and we know the industry has changed so it is a mater of trying different things, so we are staging live music, singers, karaoke, I’m looking at a golf outing in the summer, and even letting folk know we have free wi-fi here if they want to drop in and use it while having a drink or a juice. We also have Sky to show all the sports - and that’s good for folk who don;t have it and are maybe on their own. It’s a place to come ands watch the football, racing or golf.

“My vision for the pub goes beyond just serving drinks - I want it to be a vibrant hub for entertainment and community engagement where people can come together, connect and make memories.”