We knew the pub would be in trouble when the smoking ban came in. As the cold spring wore on and the regulars huddled round the log fire in the front bar, Anne, the landlady, kept saying: “It’ll ruin me.”

Now it’s empty. The front bar is almost never used. Regulars lurk near the “smoking door” and the Sunday lunchers sit in the garden – unless it rains, which it’s been doing since July 1. Where are the non-smokers?

Anne: “To be honest, I don’t think non-smokers are pub-goers.”

Anne, whose takings have fallen by half since July 1, cannot afford to exploit her outdoor opportunity with solutions (decking, marquees, outside audio-visuals). It’s a rural local, for heaven’s sake.

Anne is not renewing her lease when it comes up next year. Is it the smoking ban? “That’s part of it. Anybody driving past looks in the front bar and probably thinks we’re closed. I reckon we’ve lost 25 grand this year. Cold, wet summer as much as the smoking ban.

The lease is up on February 18. On the 19th, the pub will close. Me, I don’t think Enterprise – or anybody else – will reopen it. This is not gastro-pub country. We’re bereft.

(These are excerpts from a long article that really captures the feel of what the UK is losing. We recommend reading the entire article.)

Source: The Telegraph. Link

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