As A present Licensee I can tell you first hand what is happening to all the pubs.
A. The smoking ban, I have lost about £2,000 a week since it came into force. But will the Brewery help me ? Not on your life they hack my beer prices up for the slightest reason, wont even consider a rent reduction and have even taken my discount off my best selling beer. When I asked why........ the answer in not so many words was ' cause we can !!!!!!!!
I am verging on Bankruptcy, I have an IVA in progress.......... do they care, does the government care that I ploughed my redundancy money into my business and I'm going down the Swannee because of their often silly petty legislation? NOT ON YOUR NELLY.
B.The brewery's selling to supermarkets and the like at a quarter of what they charge me for! I have two managed houses around me and they sell a pint at a cheaper price that what I can buy it in for ............. and to add insult to injury off the same Brewery that I have to buy mine off.
Brewery's sell to the social club at hugely discounted prices, why they are not supposed to make a profit, only running expences. One club not so far from me has a £5,000 a year window cleaning bill. Guess what, there aint a window in the place !!!!!!!!!!
I cannot shop around I am tied to the Brewery also have Brulines on my pipes which are linked direct to the Brewery so they can tell if I'd bought in or not!
My utillity bills have trippled in less than 18 months, gas & leccy is over £2,000 a month, and Severn Trent are now charging me an extra 40% because I have 3 drains on my carpark that take the rain water away!!! The mind boggles.
So my friends this is why a lot of pubs are dissappearing because no-one cares, not the breweries and certainly not the government. And certainly not the customers who will go to where the beer is cheaper or like you stay at home now.
C. I think there is a local government/ government conspiricy to close all pubs down eventually, easier policing if there's no pubs. They blame the Licensee's for everything that goes on in the local vacinity. Ie., underage drinking, vandalisum, drugs, you name it its our fault. I I.D. everyone under 25 let alone 21 I dont do 18 or 21 birthday parties.
Most Licensee's that I know do the same, this is our lively hood and our home too why would we jepordise that for underage drinkers or druggies?
When I'm gone there will be low rise flats and houses built on here, like there have been on all the other 9 pubs that surrounded me when I first came here 17 years ago.
Who will care? No-one I guess!