'There’s no option other than fight'

The past few weeks have been heart-breaking for all in the sector.

No matter if you are a delivery driver, MD, CEO, licensee, supplier, manager, cleaner, bar staff… everyone has been affected by the coronavirus. And that’s not just on a business level, many in the sector will have lost or know of others who have lost family, friends or beloved regulars to the virus.

The Morning Advertiser​ started reporting on coronavirus before it emerged in mainland Europe and the UK. We knew it had the potential to negatively impact the great British pub. Little did we know how bad it would be. 

We’ve listened to you and your desperately sad stories about how this is affecting your lives and businesses. It has been painful to hear and see how the pandemic has obliterated a sector we all love, and especially how it has impacted the thousands of people we know and admire in the trade.

But, as always in the pub trade, with one brush there is darkness, yet with the next there is light and colour. I’ve said it before – countless others before me and many will afterwards – pubs and the people behind them are made of stern stuff. We are creative and clever survivors.

Also, while we have heard heart-breaking tales of sinking businesses, we’ve been lucky enough to hear from hundreds of operators who aren’t willing to let the virus stop them from serving their communities or keeping their businesses alive. You don’t have to search for long before you see the operators who are providing meals for locals, delivering beer to regulars or opening up their expertise to help raise money for the NHS. 

For some, right now, it may seem like the end. But have faith. Two world wars, a smoking ban and one of the biggest financial crashes all failed to kill off the pub. 

As licensees, delivery drivers, MDs, CEOs, suppliers, cleaners, bar staff, customers – and everybody else who contributed to the trade before now – together, we will see the great British pub trade open its doors once again. 

And we are here to help make that happen. Tell us how we can help, where you’re having problems and what can be done to resolve them. We can point you in the right direction or at least find out why there is a problem.

We don’t have any other option but to succeed. We can do this.