The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Despairing pub chief pleads for shop booze ban
Radical plan exposes depth of misery as drinking curbs extended
THE despair in the hospitality trade was laid bare last night as one desperate pub boss made an emotional appeal for Nicola Sturgeon to ban the sale of alcohol in shops to help the industry survive.
T he plea came as it was announced that indoor premises will not be allowed to serve drink to customers until at least the start of next month, while those able to sell alcohol outside will still have to close at 10pm. The continuation of the scheme was met with dismay across the sector, with warnings that thousands of Scottish jobs stood to be lost the longer the measures remain in place and takings plummet.
Don Lawson, owner of the prominent Inverness bar Johnny Foxes, proposed a drastic move to preserve hospitality jobs.
In an impassioned letter to the first minister, he wrote: “Pubs are facing an unprecedented crisis
and the jobs and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people are in jeopardy.
“Many of our beloved pubs are at real risk, with significantly reduced trade and increased costs as a result of questionable restrictions. I feel the answer to the hospitality conundrum is that the Scottish Government bans all alcohol sales in supermarket sand offlicences, including off-sales in pubs and restaurants.
“Allow the sale of alcohol to be restricted to pubs and restaurants – this will boost local economies and safeguard thousands of jobs.” The suggestion has provoked a mixed reaction across the industry.
Stuart McPhee, director of Siberia Aberdeen and spokesman for the Aberdeen Hospitality Group, said it had some merit. He said: “I’m all for trialling anything. It’s as radical an idea as any.
“I’ve certainly advocated a few ideas such as shutting down premises who are not following the rules.
“We need to be working as an industry alongside the Scottish Government to find a solution, given that we’re the third biggest employer in the country.”
Since the sanctions were imposed earlier this month, many pubs have opted to close rather than trade under the circumstances.
Shirley Bowden, director and owner of the Brew Toon brewery and bar in Peterhead, said selling her product in shops had become an increasingly important source of income. She said: “We are busy with online sales, and the bars that do the outdoor areas are continuing to place orders.
“Our bar has been closed, but due to demand from customers, we have done a few pop-up bars in the local area, like at Cruden Bay harbour and the centre of Peterhead. We’re taking each day as it comes.”
Darren Murray, owner of the St Machar Bar in Old Aberdeen, said he was not in favour of banning the sale of alcohol in shops.
He said: “It might drive some resentment towards hospitality.
“There should definitely be more stringent track and trace in other places like shopping centres, to show the issue is wider than just hospitality.”
Paul Waterson, on behalf of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, claimed
the sale of alcohol in shops was more likely to contribute to a rise in coronavirus cases.
He said: “If we consider that Covid-19 transmission primarily happens in the home and that there is no evidence that transmission is rife in licensed premises, then forcing people into drinking at home doesn’t seem very logical.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Retail Consortium added: “Grocery retailers take their duty to responsibly sell alcohol incredibly seriously. An outright ban on off- sales would do nothing to help the hospitality industry and would enormously impact brewers, distillers, and other often Scottish suppliers whose ability to legitimately sell alcohol would be halted.”
Paul Quinn, a partner of the family-run business at the Garlogie Inn near Westhill, said having an emphasis on food had helped the premises to remain successful this month.
He said: “Things haven’t all been too bad during the recent restrictions. I can imagine bars that just serve drinks are struggling, but we’ve always been more focused on food, with drink as an aside. Once the 6pm cut-off kicks in, we’ve been doing takeaway service as well, and we’ve started doing afternoon teas too, so we’ve adapted to what’s been thrown at us.”