The Kerridge effect alone won’t save our pubs
Many television series have had to reflect the changes wrought by lockdown, but few as starkly as Saving Britain’s Pubs with Tom Kerridge (BBC Two). The Michelin-starred chef set out last year to lend his expertise to four premises that, for different reasons, were failing to thrive. For two episodes we saw him working with the publicans to come up with solutions tailor-made for their particular circumstances: a modern makeover for the Golden Anchor in Nunhead, south London, a restaurant refit for the White Hart in Chilsworthy, Cornwall, a new business plan for the Prince Albert in Stroud, a professional management team brought in to the communityowned Black Bull in Stirlingshire. And then the pandemic hit.
The show was there to capture it all: anxiety when the first Covid cases were reported in the UK, uncertainty as the Government failed to provide proper guidance. Then the cameras focused on Amy, of the White Hart, as she watched the Prime Minister announce that pubs would be closing that night for the foreseeable future. “We’ve worked so hard to make this place amazing, and it’s just gone,” she wept. The Golden Anchor’s Lana was also in tears as her husband locked up: “This was a different locking up. It was like a goodbye locking up.”
The ever-supportive Kerridge kept in touch with them all, but he had few words of solace because his own pubs were empty too. The previous episodes succeeded in making us care about these people, providing an insight into how much hard work it takes to run a pub and how little money there is to be made. To see them pour their hearts and souls into the job, only for business to disappear overnight, was tough.
And yet, against all expectation, the show ended on a positive note. Lana fell back in love with the pub
that had been draining her energy. Amy said her pub had emerged from lockdown as a stronger business.
It was heartening to see, although I suspect that the Kerridge factor played a part – would the pub company have thrown resources at the Prince Albert if it weren’t for the fear of some bad PR on the BBC?
The series was a reminder of how precious our pubs are. As soon as we can, we should go and have a drink.
Saving Britain’s Pubs ★★★★