'Slow death' for Black Country and Staffordshire pubs as lockdown lingers

Landlords have said that if the restrictions mimic that of the Tier system from last year, they would 'not survive' and be better off staying closed.

Bill Whittle and his wife Mandy Whittle own The Bridge Inn pub in Hednesford.

Since the pandemic hit, they used the time that their business has been closed to refurbish the pub and make it Covid secure, spending more than £40,000.

However due to the Tier system, the pub has not been able to open to customers since November 2020 and its six staff members are on furlough.

Bill said: "We have been very lucky as we met the criteria for government support, without that we would have had to say goodbye to the building early on, and the support for us has been sensational.

"And I must thank all our customers and employees who have supported us throughout and said how safe they feel here.

"After the first lockdown we reopened and we were always full, but it was the 'new full', we could've had twice the number before, then we had to close in November and we had the rug pulled out from under us again.

"I am concerned about phased reopening, when we reopened in July everything was manageable, we were still making a profit and able to pay our staff.

"Then the 10pm curfew was introduced, and then the rule about one household bubble per table, and only being able to have an alcoholic drink with a meal and then things really weren't tenable.

"We were paying the bills, but we couldn't have survived doing that, we were only open like that for four days and we would have been better off staying closed.

"If the government re-introduced those measures, I would stay closed with government support if I could, as we were losing money every day that we were open.

"Footfall went down, capacity dropped, it was lethal."

In Wolverhampton, John Smith has been the landlord of the Chindit Inn, on Merridale Road for 25 years, it is a wet pub and does not serve cooked meals.

He has echoed Mr Whittle's fears, and has also said he would be better of remaining closed than reopening with heavy restrictions.

Mr Smith said: "We have been locked down for so long now, what can you do? We are just waiting around for the pubs to open, we are looking at April earliest.

"I reopened in September, not July, so the pub was only open for five weeks, as soon as we tried to get back to normal we had to close again.

"All our stock was out of date and had to be thrown away, there was so much waste including crisps, nuts and snacks as well as drinks - it was a shame.

"If the rules were re-introduced that meant you had to have a substantial meal with a drink then we would not reopen, we do not have the facilities here to do food.

"I would rather stay closed for longer if it means we can reopen for good.

"People were misinformed previously too by the guidance, what counts as a substantial meal, how long you can stay at the pub, how many drinks you could have. The government needs to give much clearer advice when we do reopen."

Mr Smith said if pubs can reopen in April but without selling alcohol, as reports suggest, he would not open.

He added: "I can't see a point in it myself, if you can't sell alcohol. It's ok for a few pubs but not for the likes of me."

Some pub owners have taken the decision to close for good, as the uncertainty of a reopening date continues to add pressure

Balwant Basran, who has run the New Merridale in Penn Fields since 2017, said that following the onset of coronavirus, many pubs could no longer survive as licensed premises and had been forced to look at alternative uses.

He is now planning to convert the premises into apartments.

Prior to submitting an application to convert the Merridale Street venue into living accommodation, Mr Basran had initially been hopeful of pubs reopening earlier this year.

Neil Ranford of NCR Architectural Design in Stourbridge – acting on behalf of Mr Basran – said: “The past few years have highlighted the fact that society is changing quickly.

“The way that people socialise has changed and many public houses are now struggling to survive. In the wake of Covid-19, this is a trend that is likely to continue – not just in Wolverhampton but nationwide.

“Therefore, public houses like the New Merridale are no longer able to sustain themselves. Pubs were once the social centre for many communities, but that all seems to be changing.

One of Bilston's best-loved pubs, The Grapes, is also facing uncertainty after its licensees announced plans to leave.

Adam Fletcher and Becky Ward, who have run the popular Moseley Road venue for the last five years, revealed their departure on the pub’s Facebook page.

The news has left dedicated locals – many of whom have become personal friends of the couple – feeling sad and concerned about the long-term future of their favourite watering hole.

Councillor Linda Leach said: “It’s so sad to hear that Adam and Becky are leaving the Grapes pub. They have served our community well.

“The Grapes is the beating heart of Bilston North and is the only pub left in the area. People are going to miss going in for a quick pint, a bite to eat or to enjoy their Sunday lunch.

“It goes to show that these are really trying times for everyone and we’ve really never experienced anything like it before.

“As a small business owner in Bilston myself, I completely understand the effects Covid-19 has had on many small businesses.

"I just hope and pray that all of us get through this awful pandemic."

'Slow death' says Camra

The extended closure of pubs throughout the Covid-19 pandemic has been described as a “slow death for too many”.

Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) groups in the Black Country and Staffordshire have said it has been extremely difficult for all types of hospitality venues to survive the last year.

And they have warned there will be further closures in the coming months and years, as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to wreck havoc on the industry.

Marston’s operations director, Ed Hancox, said there would be “casualties” due to the ongoing closures – but was confident people would return to the pubs when restrictions were eventually lifted.

He said: “There will be casualties but we will see people take their pubs back into their hearts again and establish themselves back into the community.

“It has been a very hard 12 months, but we are positive about the future of pubs in society and we look forward to when we can welcome people back to our pubs again.”

Frank Bryden, Heart of Staffordshire Camra chairman, said: “At this time it is incredibly difficult for all hospitality venues just to survive and there will definitely be closures during the coming months and years, this is a slow death for too many pubs and clubs.

“Given that CAMRA has not seen any evidence of pubs being major spreaders of Covid 19, unlike schools, colleges, care homes, workplaces and even hospitals, the restrictions at times seem overkill.”

Ryan Hunt, chair of Dudley & South Staffordshire Camra, said: “As we edge nearer to spring and millions of the most vulnerable individuals in society continue to be vaccinated, this should be a period of hope and optimism where we can all look forward to drinking and socialising with friends and families in our favourite pubs. However, it is not good enough that our pubs simply ‘survive’ this horrendous pandemic. They are too important to our social infrastructure to merely ‘get by’.

“Therefore, Camra continues to call for a long-term financial stimulus package so that breweries and pubs can bounce back and serve their communities for years to come.”

Chris Southall, from Cannock Chase Camra, added: “The Government should commit to extending the VAT cut and also include alcoholic drinks in this.”