Rules mean hundreds of our pubs have been forced to remain closed
HundredsofpubsinWestSussex have been unable to open their doors in December due to the Tier 2 restrictions in place, analysis suggests.
The British Beer and Pub Association estimates that twothirds of pubs in the county – 332 venues – have been forced to remain closed during the festive period so far.
This is because they serve no food or make a low percentage of their overall turnover from selling meals.
Under Tier 2 ‘High Alert’ restrictions, which came into force across West Sussex last week, pubs and bars can only serve alcohol on the premises with a ‘substantial meal’.
Even those which are able to open will see a 58 per cent drop in their December turnover compared to the same month last year, the trade body has estimated.
The Maypole Inn, a pub in Yapton which does not serve food, is one of those which has been unable to welcome back customers after lockdown.
Ian Smith, who has run the pub alongside his wife Sam for the last three years, said: “It just doesn’t work. For a wet-led pub, being forced to do food, it’s absolutely crazy.”
The pub has had offers of support, including from a local burger van which volunteered to park outside, and from customers, who offered to bring along their own scotch egg after the environment secretary, George Eustice, suggested this qualified as a meal.
But for a village pub like The Maypole Inn, Ian said the rules around households mixing presentingthebiggestchallenge.
“I could do food quite easily,” hesaid.“It’stheseparatingpeople – that’s the major hurdle.”
As the only pub in Yapton, The Maypole Inn is a meeting place for the community, with a clientelealmostexclusivelymade up of local people.
One of the busiest times for the business is 4pm, when the builders come in. But despite having worked together all day, they would be forced to sit at different tables.
“These are people that live in the same village and work together,” he said. “But because they’re from different households, they have to separate. I don’t get it. It’s just ridiculous.”
Unlike a big, anonymous pub in a city, Ian knows most of the locals by name and would recogniseifpeoplefromdifferent householdsweresittingtogether. “It puts a lot of onus on the landlord to control it,” he said.
Ian said it was a blow to find out the area would be put under Tier 2 restrictions, especially considering it had been in a lower tier before lockdown was introduced.
“We kept an eye on the numbers, none of them went up,” he said. “If anything they were going down.”
Ian said he would like to see individualchecksmadeonpubs, on a weekly basis for example, so that if they were found to be followingcertainrulestheycould reopen with more freedom. But unless things change, he cannot see the pub reopening anytime soon. “Until there’s a complete relaxation in the mixing of households, I don’t think we can open, because of how we’re set up,” he said.
Even if West Sussex moves intoadifferenttieronDecember 16 following a review, it would only leave a few days before Christmas, and Ian fears there could potentially be a new lockdown in January following the five-day relaxation over the festive period.
The Prime Minister has announced a one-off £1,000 ‘Christmas grant’ to support pubs in Tier 2 and 3 that predominantly serve alcohol rather than food, like The Maypole Inn. But Ian said this amounted to just two days worth of takings pre-Covid – pointing out that he has already had to throw away hundreds of pounds worth of unused stock.
It is not just the pub that is suffering financially, he added, but the many other businesses thatrelyonitbeingopenfortheir own trade – from local breweries to taxi drivers and take-aways. “It’s a huge knock on effect,” he said.
Meanwhile the leaseholders of a pub in Fittleworth said they had made ‘the difficult decision’ not to reopen the business as a result of the ‘insurmountable losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic’.
TheleaseholdersofTheSwan said: “A lack of Government support in dealing with the constantly changing trading landscape since March, including phases of lock down andrestrictedopeningpractices, means the business is no longer viable. The historic inn relies on the major events at Goodwood, couples marrying in nearby wedding venues and tourists for the majority of its income. This business provides enough revenue to enable the pub to provide a welcoming place for the local community to meet throughout the rest of the year.”
They said the decision had beenmade‘withgreatregret’and thankedthelocalcommunityfor its ‘support and friendship over the past two and a half years’.
The news was met with an outpouring of sympathy on social media. Commenting online, reader Ray Dyer said it wasa‘terribleshame’,whilePaul Helyer described it as ‘a lovely pub’. Elizabeth Hay said: “Such a shamebutIfearmanyotherpubs will suffer the same fate.”
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, called for more Government help. “We need the Government to recognise the impact of these restrictions and urgently provide more financial support,” she said.
“We cannot overstate how serious the situation is currently facing our staff, communities and businesses.
“The future of hundreds of breweries, thousands of pubs and tens of thousands of jobs hangs in the balance.”
A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy spokesmansaid:“Weunderstand the pressure businesses are currently under, particularly the hospitality industry. These restrictions, which are reviewed every 14 days, are essential so we cancontrolthevirus,protectthe NHS and save lives.”
He added that the £1,000 grant for pubs accompanied a ‘wide-ranging package of financial support’, including the extendedfurloughscheme,other business grants, loan schemes and business rates holidays.