Many London pubs are at risk of shutting forever, experts have warned
(Picture: Rawpixel)About 1,000 pubs in London are at risk of permanent closure after the latest lockdown without support from the Government, an industry chief warned today.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, told the Standard that “endlessly changing restrictions, lockdowns and switching between tiers” made it “nigh on impossible” for most of the sector to trade profitably.
Even before the lockdown 90 per cent of premises were trading at a loss, according to BBPA data.
She added: “We need the Government to use this time in lockdown to review the current restrictions and tiering system and put in place something workable for the vital month of December."
Pubs, bars and restaurants in London had seen trade improve over summer
APHer warning came as separate figures showed that almost a fifth of the capital’s licensed premises were shut even before the November lockdown came into effect.
The closures were triggered by the rules that came into force in October, according to the Markey Recovery Monitor report from analysts CGA and consultants AlixPartners.
Karl Chessell, business unit director for food and retail at CGA, said: ”Hospitality has been steadily reopening since the end of the first national lockdown but October saw an abrupt end to the recovery.”
AlixPartners’ managing director Graeme Smith said: “The recovery of hospitality has been halted by the second lockdown in England and with the Government stating that, once lifted, the country will return to the tiered system and significant trading restrictions, the question must be whether some of these sites will ever reopen under their current ownership.”
However, he added that sites that do close will quickly find new operators once demand returns. He said: “There is a continued confidence about London as a retail destination, that too many people have too much invested in it for it to go down.”
