Swan pub started to fly, but final last orders beckon
Boozer set to be auctioned off by brewery
A pub is set to close in a few months despite a turnaround in popularity.
Gary and Claire Banfield took charge of The Swan in Maidstone in 2017.
Brewers Shepherd Neame told the family they were the last throw of the dice for the County Road pub, after an £80,000 refurb failed to bring in punters.
Two years on profits are up, but the family are walking away from their first-ever time tending the bar.
Mr Banfield, 40, said: “The pub is a viable business, it’s a shame Shepherd Neame don’t want to find the right owner to keep it going. They told us we’d be the last tenants in. The company just isn’t interested in wet lip pubs anymore, it’s a dying trend.
“If you’re serving food you can make a 90% profit, with beer it’s around 45%, especially if you’re tied in with a brewer.” Shepherd Neame intends to auction off The Swan, as it did the Dog and Gun pub in Boxley Road in June, fetching £385,000. Mr Banfield said: “If you walk through the town centre during the week, you see a lot of empty pubs. The difference is they make a lot of money at the weekends. “When we started out we tried putting on live music, but people would come for the first half then go further into town.
“Then we focussed on sports, we bought the channels and got a darts team going.
“It’s become a popular little pub, profits are up 40% since we started, but it’s a lot of work for not a lot of return.”
The Banfields have lived above the venue with their three children, between seven and 13 years old, since taking over.
The couple had intended to split shifts, but a diagnosis of fibromyalgia left Claire suffering with chronic fatigue and in need of rest. The condition causes pain all over the body.
Mr Banfield said: “We’re a young family and Claire needs a lot of respite, that isn’t easy living above a pub.
“Tax is another issue, if we had a greater share of the money we brought in, it would’ve meant extra wages for staff to make things a bit easier. Gone are the days when a landlord owned a second home in Spain.”
The Swan will be auctioned off in September and is expected to close the same month.
Shepherd Neame issued a statement saying the decision had not been taken lightly, but added: “The pub does not fit with our current business strategy.”