The BBPA has revealed the extent of the devastation to pubs and brewers one year on from the first Covid-19 lockdown, reiterating its view that government must ensure pubs can operate without restrictions on June 21.
One year on from the Prime Minister ordering the first Covid-19 lockdown, the British Beer & Pub Association has revealed that 2,000 pubs are estimated to have been lost forever.
The trade association also calculates that 2.1 billion pints in beer sales have been lost due to a full year of either forced closure, or trading under severe restrictions, and £8.2 billion in trade value wiped out from the sector in beer sales alone.
“Sadly, we still haven’t seen the full extent of the damage yet and won’t do for some time until things really do go back to normal. And by normal, I mean a return to what life was like pre-covid,” said Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA. “Whilst we continue to assess the full damage to our sector, I urge the government to look at providing more support for our wet-led community pubs who, although grateful for all the support they received in the Budget, will not benefit from the VAT cut to food in the same way restaurants will. Local wet-led pubs have been amongst the worst affected by the virus so it’s important the government goes that little bit further for them.”
Last month the Prime Minister unveiled the government’s roadmap indicating that pubs will reopen outdoors only from 12 April at the earliest, followed by indoors from 17 May at the earliest and with all restrictions lifted by 21 June at the earliest.
“It is becoming all the more clear that the government must ensure all our pubs are fully re-opened on June 21st as indicated in the roadmap,” concluded McClarkin. “This is when their recovery will really start and until then we stand to lose more pubs and community assets.”
