Fears for the future of pubs in Calderdale due to coronavirus

With social distancing measures looking likely to stay in place until a vaccine or drug to treat coronavirus is found, according to the country’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, Halifax’s vibrant bar and pub scene could be in for a testing time.

The government has previously announced help in the form of grants and relaxing planning rules so pubs and restaurants can operate as hot food takeaways, but more support could be needed in the near future.

Michael Ainsworth, who owns the Grayston Unity and Meandering Bear with partners Jessica Ainswoth and Andrew Murphy, said: “My gut feeling is we won’t be opening before September because anything that involves social contact, like restaurants, bars and pubs, were always going to be the last to be let out of lockdown.

“If pubs and restaurants were allowed to re-open in September they’d probably have to have some social distancing measures, which might be more feasible in restaurants, but can you imagine doing that in a bar or a pub? And how would you police that on a Friday or Saturday night? I see huge challenges in making that work.

“There will be people saying ‘I can’t wait to get back to the pub’ but if there’s no vaccine, are people going to put themselves in that position. I think the reality is, probably not.

“A lot of smaller businesses have had the benefit of the £15,000 or £25,000 grant, which is great, but the worry for me is, if we’re allowed to open in the Autumn and there’s no vaccine, are we going to get enough trade to make it viable?

“I can only see an incredibly tough time ahead for anybody who’s got a business in the hospitality trade.

“It’s not just a bar issue but we are going to feel it long beyond this.

“It’s about how the government helps and responds. A few weeks ago the Chancellor said he’d standby businesses and wouldn’t let them down, which was good to hear, but that has to be followed through further down the line.

“If it gets to June and there’s no more financial support, places will go in June, which is when the initial grant money was up until.

“There needs to be some kind of support if there’s going to be a hospitality industry of any kind left.

“I don’t see trade rushing back until there’s a vaccine. And it’s so disappointing from a Halifax point of view and sad because it’s turned a corner in the last couple of years.

“I suppose there is a positive in that, because of all the attractions there are in Halifax, that puts the town in a better place than lots of other towns and cities.

“But a town that felt like it was really on the up is potentially going to struggle to get anywhere near back to that momentum. It’s certainly going to take a long time.”

Mr Ainsworth’s Grayston Unity is UK’s smallest music venue.

“Can you imagine trying to do social distancing in the Grayston?” he said. “I struggle to think I’d be able to re-open, I’d have to try and hunker down and get through.

“If you had to keep two metres away from anyone, that’s just impossible in the Grayston, but I don’t think it’s possible in many places if it’s going to be adhered to.

“But people aren’t going to go in places if they feel they can’t have that social distancing, not in the numbers that’s going to make businesses viable.”

Angus Wood, managing partner of the Stod Fold Brewing Company, said: “The pub business was not in good shape before the pandemic.

“Now, the specific issues they face are that they were the first businesses to be closed down and will probably be the last to reopen due to the nature of how pubs actually operate with public interaction at their core.

“They will therefore endure the longest period of uncertainty in what was probably one of the most fragile industries.

“The specific timing was also really not helpful. Coming after the quietest two months for the pub trade when reserves are at their lowest.

“Most will probably benefit from the £10-£25k grant but with zero certainty about how long that will have to last it’s hard to know how useful it will be when weighed up against those regular monthly costs.

“Stod Fold feels that a sensible worse case scenario that we will try to plan for is; pub closures for the remainder of 2020 and no further government assistance after the current round of furlough - and self employed assistance.

“There is no way that we could keep our bar at Dean Clough open as a drive through/takeaway without the brewery in support. However, it is only a case of us bleeding to death a little more slowly and securing a few jobs for a little longer. Profitable is not on the table.

“It’s the rent that is the big one for everyone and so very variable.

“I think if people felt the rent and rates were taken care of then it would probably be sustainable for longer or at least give them a little hope and the ability to plan for the long haul.

“Currently I think many landlords might be considering those conversations with property developers that they have long resisted.

“I imagine that for a variety of reasons some businesses will fail. For what it’s worth, my advice would be to stay the course if you possibly can and use the time to, safely, get your business into the best shape it can be. We can surely expect some very strong trade for a month or two when the rules are relaxed.”

Max Heaton, from the Shibden Mill Inn, said: “We are still waiting really for any updates in terms of what the conditions of re-opening will be and when.

“There has been plenty in the news this week about pubs being the last things to reopen once the current situation improves, however it is the running within strict limitations such as reduced number of covers and maximum entrants that scares us the most.

“We have a very large and expensive building to maintain and a lot of staff which needs to be full and busy to cover the running costs, nevermind make profit.

“At this point it would be very beneficial for the trade to have some reassurances from the government and some sort of outlined plan so we can start to consider our options, plan our and then make the necessary changes.

“We will no doubt have to make huge adaptations to our businesses and go in directions never considered before, so weirdly the team is excited for the new challenge.”

CAMRA Halifax and Calderdale – the local branch of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale – along with CAMRA branches nationwide - say they are worried about the possible permanent closure of pubs that might not survive the COVID-19 lockdown.

In a statement, CAMRA Calderdale said: “Just before lockdown, the number of pubs in Calderdale had recovered to around 246 from a recent low of 216 – in 2018. That means that around 30 of our current pubs are either completely new businesses, or are previously closed pubs that have opened under new management.

“In February this year, the branch selected the 23 pubs from across the district which serve the best quality real ale for inclusion in CAMRA’s 2021 Good Beer Guide. Some of these 23 pubs are themselves quite new businesses.

“The implications for all these new businesses -and other tenanted pubs that have changed hands in the last couple of years - is that many of the licensees will not have the full three years of accounts required by HMRC for them to receive their “furlough” allowance of 80% of their previous profits. This could cause real financial difficulties for the licensee and their family, and jeopardise the chance of them being able to reopen their pub after lockdown.

“Another threat to the continuity of pub comes from some of the pub owning companies (pubcos) and breweries themselves, as some of them are still asking for rent from their tenants, even though the pubs are closed. CAMRA are urging property owners to waive rents where businesses are closed, and have organised a national email campaign addressed to the Chief Executives of the pubcos and national breweries.

“Many of the companies have agreed to waive rents for this period, but, sadly, not all. Further, many pubs may be renting premises from commercial landlords, who may not be prepared to waive their rent.

“In order to help keep pubs viable, some have turned to offering take away sales – particularly pubs attached to small breweries. The CAMRA internet database, WhatPub, will point potential customers to these pubs (where CAMRA has been made aware of this). Obviously, customers should only take advantage of such pubs where they are on their normal routes for exercise, shopping or to work.

“A final afterthought concerns the beer in pub cellars. Whilst it is widely regarded that wines and spirits have a long shelf life, as does bottled beer, there have been pictures on the news of pubs pouring away their bulk beer.

“Life long CAMRA member, Peter Judge, said, “I don’t quite understand why pubs are pouring beer away already. Keg beer (and lager) was designed to last for months, and is filtered and pasteurised. On the other hand, real ale continues to live in the cask – it undergoes a secondary fermentation, and should continue to mature for several weeks in the pub cellar; provided the cask is still sealed and is not “tapped and spiled”. I look forward to the chance to try some of these ales when lockdown has finally been eased.”

Halifax MP Holly Lynch said: “This is an incredibly difficult time for everyone in the hospitality industry.

“A number of great craft beer bars have popped up in Halifax in recent years, contributing towards Halifax’s renaissance and sitting alongside old favourites such as The Shibden Mill Inn and The Big Six.
“It would be a huge blow to our town if some of them could not survive this crisis.

“There are a number of grants and schemes already available to landlords but, if the lockdown continues, it is highly likely that further support will be necessary and I’ll be fighting for that on their behalf.

“Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Resources, Coun Jane Scullion, said: “We know that pubs, like many businesses in the retail and hospitality sector, are facing serious challenges because of COVID-19.

“Many pubs and restaurants have diversified their offer during this time. Some are taking advantage of the relaxation of planning rules to operate as hot food takeaways during the coronavirus outbreak, while others are increasing their online offer. However, we know these are incredibly difficult times and the Council is doing all it can to support local businesses.

“We’re working hard to ensure that the government support, including the available grant funding, is processed as quickly as possible for eligible businesses.  Over £45 million has already been issued to around 4000 small businesses and those in the retail and hospitality sector - and this figure grows every day.

“As we move forward, we’ll continue to offer our support and help businesses adapt and prepare for new ways of operating in the future.”

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