Pubs can stay open despite brewery closures
FIVE pubs and restaurants in Burton and South Derbyshire are set to remain open despite a brewery giant’s plans for a raft of temporary closures.
Greene King, which has offices in Burton, announced the temporary closure of 79 of its pubs last week due to a slump in trade caused by the 10pm curfew. The firm also said at least a third of these would never reopen, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.
Greene King, which has a support centre in Burton, blamed the decision on “continued tightening of the trading restrictions for pubs”, saying it will shut 79 pubs for now and has started consulting with 800 employees across the UK.
At the time it was not known which of the local pubs and restaurants were affected by the news.
However, it has since been revealed that the closure plans only affects those venues that had not reopened since lockdown.
A spokesman said pubs that are currently open and trading are not affected, which means the ones in Burton and Swadlincote are safe.
They are the Corner House, at Burton’s Centrum 100 business park; The Tall Chimney, at The
Pipeworks, Swadlincote; The Chesterfield, in Ashby Road, Bretby; The Riverside Hotel, in Branston; and The Mill House, in Stretton.
These pubs have all reopened since lockdown ended and so are not affected. The hospitality trade has suffered massively during the Covid19 pandemic, having only been allowed to reopen on July 4 following a four-month closure.
It is now subject to a Government
imposed 10pm curfew in a bid to curb a rise in coronavirus cases.
Greene King has called on the Government for urgent help for the pub industry to avoid closures and stave off job losses. It recently revealed lockdown had cost the firm ‘several million pounds’. The firm has a 38,000-strong workforce.
A spokesman for Greene King has said it was working hard with its affected teams to try to find them a role in another of our pubs wherever possible.
But added that it urgently needs the government to step in and provide tailored support to help the sector get through to the spring and prevent further pub closures and job losses.
Burton MP Kate Griffiths called the news “very worrying” adding that she would support any constituents affected.