Worksop landlord calls for lifeline to prevent thousands of pub closures

Stuart Davison, owner of The Woodhouse Inn, Woodend, said without support the future of his business and many others in the pub trade was uncertain.

Skyrocketing energy bills and increased food and drink costs from suppliers are just two of the issues currently facing Mr Davison and thousands of other landlords.

Mr Davison is calling for tax equality between pubs and supermarkets and a reduction in the amount of VAT landlords pay.

The British Beer and Pub Association has warned 2,000 pubs are facing last orders without support from the Government in the Spring Budget.

Mr Davison said: “Pubs are at the heart of our community. Many of our customers live alone and don’t have anyone at home to talk to, so coming to the pub gives them that social interaction. It’s a chance for people to get out of the house for a few hours, enjoy a meal, for some it might be the only time they actually leave the house and see other people so pubs are vitally important to the community. This place is a lifeline to a lot of our customers.

“If the Government doesn’t do something, pubs will disappear, especially independents like me, all we’ll be left with are chain pubs that don’t have the same kind of heart and soul.”

Mr Davison has already been forced to slash the working hours of his 12-strong team and make cutbacks in a bid to shield customers from increasing costs, but he has come to the end of the line.

He said: “It’s horrendous all the staff have had their hours cut, half the lights don’t get turned on anymore because of increasing energy costs.

“By far the biggest problem for us is the price of food and beer going up, we’ve seen a 10-11 per cent increase in buying products from our suppliers.

“So far, we’ve done everything we can not to pass this onto our customers, I’ve put it off for as long as possible but over the next few weeks I’m going to have to start putting prices up. Customers won’t be happy about it and I don’t know if it will put people off coming in, I’m just hoping for the best.”

Emma McClarkin, BBPA chief executive, said: “It is crucial the Government shows in this budget it understands the pressures the sector is facing and just how much our pubs and breweries mean to communities everywhere across the UK.

“We urgently need the Chancellor to deliver a plan for sustainable growth with fair, modernised tax rates and a focus on skills and training needed to ensure pubs and breweries can thrive.

“After almost three years of extremely tough trading conditions due to lockdowns, an energy crisis, supply chain disruptions and more, now is a make-or-break moment to save our locals and breweries from failure now in the years to come, we need the Government to act now or risk losing something very special forever.”

The BBPA are calling on the Chancellor to freeze duty rates, implement a significant increase in the discount for draft beer sold in pubs, and introduce the previously announced reduced rate for lower-strength beers from August 1.

Further concern comes from the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme support ending on March 31, meaning many pubs and breweries will again be subject to rocketing bills that threaten them to declare last orders once and for all.

The BBPA’s call comes as data from Oxford Economics estimates on-trade beer sales will decline by nine per cent in 2023/4. This equates to 288 million fewer pints and 25,000 potential job losses in pubs and the wider industry.

The BBPA represents UK companies which between them brew more than 90 per cent of the beer sold in the UK and own 20,000 pubs