Brewer: We stand to lose all the money we invested
A BREWER in Yorkshire has told how he stands to lose his entire investment in the new business as his firm makes “chicken feed” during the early stages of the third coronavirus lockdown.
His concerns come as the Campaign for Real Ale again called on the Government to let pubs sell takeaway beer and cider in sealed containers.
David Braysmith, the cofounder of Pumphouse Brewing at Twydale Business Park in Driffield with his business partner Zsolt Hangrad, said his staff had now resorted to furlough payments and despite previously receiving a £ 20,000 bounce- back loan from the Government, repayments may have to start before the brewery can even reopen.
Pumphouse Brewing is now doing weekly delivery services and although Mr Braysmith stresses that he is thankful for loyal customers and the Government’s support, compared to previous takings the business was now getting “chicken feed”.
He said: “We’re at such a young stage of our business journey.
“We were seven months into it when [ the first] lockdown happened so it’s been a real test of personal resilience.
“What we do stand to lose is all the money we’ve invested in it and that’s considerable.”
In addition to that £ 100,000 investment, the business was provided with a Government bounce- back loan of £ 20,000 to help during the pandemic, which has not been spent because it is being kept “in the back pocket” for even more desperate times.
But Mr Braysmith fears the repayments will begin before he can reopen the business, which he estimates will be in June, as the repayment- free period was only for 12 months.
For his own brewery, though, Mr Braysmith is not sure that ability to run a takeaway alcohol service would make a huge amount of difference.
He said: “It’s got a very, very different feel to the spring when this was all new and the weather took a turn for the good.”
Restrictions mean shops can continue to sell alcohol to take away but pubs can only do home delivery, not collection services as in previous lockdowns.
CAMRA’s national chairman Nik Antona said: “It is absolutely unfair that while big supermarkets can continue to sell alcohol, our struggling local pubs can’t act as an off- licence too.
“This was a real lifeline for many pubs during previous lockdowns and is desperately needed again now, with landlords up and down the country struggling to make ends meet after months of closures, curfews and restrictions.”
The Government previously created a Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund to support businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with their business costs during coronavirus, which is now finished. Followingthelatest lockdown, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a one- off grant of up to £ 9,000 to help businesses survive.
Mr Sunak said: “Throughout the pandemic we’ve taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today we’re announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the spring.”
Meanwhile, the furlough scheme has been extended until April this year.
It is unfair that our struggling pubs can’t act as an off- licence too. The national chairman of CAMRA, Nik Antona.