Closure stats 'upsetting but not surprising'

03-Jan-2023 - Last updated on 10-Jan-2023 at 14:12 GMT

Shuttered sites: some 386 pubs closed during 2022, according to research from Altus Group (image: Getty/The Good Brigade)

More pubs could be “lost forever” as the hospitality sector continues to be “pushed to breaking point”, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has stated.

Responding to data published last month (December 2022) by real estate adviser Altus Group, which showed more than 32 pubs a month disappeared last year, BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin warned without support to tackle rocketing costs across the board, more establishments could be forced to close this year.

She said: "While these figures are upsetting, they are unfortunately not surprising. Pubs and brewers are facing extreme challenges; they are doing whatever they can to keep going."

Warm and welcoming space

McClarkin added: “Pubs want to stay open and provide a warm and welcoming space for their communities this winter, but urgently need clarity on whether the energy bill relief scheme will be extended, and that suppliers to be held accountable on hidden costs.

"With rocketing energy costs, soaring inflation, severe labour shortages and plummeting consumer confidence, pubs are being pushed to breaking point we need intervention as soon as possible, otherwise many more will be forced to close, and we'll lose them from the heart of villages, towns and cities across the UK forever."

Statistics showed

The figures from Altus, calculated from analysis of official Government data, showed the overall number of pubs, including those vacant and being offered to let, fell to 39,787 in December 2022 down 386 compared with 40,173 vs the same period in 2021.

Altus Group vice president Ben Nelson said: “Many publicans that I speak to are worried that [2022] could [have been] their last Christmas and really need certainty about future support.

“High operating costs and low margins make plots attractive for alternative investment and use so continued support is vital to protect pubs as they play an important role at the heart of their local communities.”