There have been numerous news stories recently about the number of pubs closing. During my recent travels across England by bus I was indeed struck by the number of closed pubs I was seeing - in town as well as the countryside. What is to blame? People have variously blamed high taxes on drink, competition from supermarkets, the smoking ban and the moves against drink driving - today it is socially unacceptable as well as being illegal.
And the Fair Pint group blames the large chains that own most pubs these days.
You may say that this is just a shake out of bad pubs and that things will pick up when the economy improves. But by then many of the rural pubs, at least, will have been converted to private house and we are unlikely to see them replaced.
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Was in a pub tonight that belongs to a pubco, and was recently re-opened after a substantial upgrade - it is now nearly back to where it was before pubco pressure drove it downhill. I think that the pubco expected to get planning permission for a block of flats, because it has an excellent view over a valley, but the economy and local sentiment has turned against them. The present tenants (who refurbished it, and have a couple of other pubs in the area) argued to the pubco that they have to run it as a free house in order to make it pay, and that is what they got.
One visiting drinker told us of a couple of pubs that one pubco has sold to new owners (who are running them) - yes, sold them - at good prices. The worm is turning, and the local may be coming back.
The reason is a mystery, even more mysterious for those of us who do not live over there... but it is so truth, on my last trip to London, I counted three pubs that were closed... and my previous visit before that one was just 4 months!
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