'Removing our key trading hour will see thousands more pub jobs at risk'

From Thursday 24 September, all hospitality venues will be forced to close at 10pm in an effort to curb a second wave of coronavirus infections in England. This comes after Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, warned on Monday 21 September that if current trends continue, then by mid-October, Britain could face around 50,000 new cases a day.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the nation to restrict the hospitality sector to table service only, outlawing buying and collecting drinks at the bar, while the recent 'rule of six' measures, in which pubs and restaurants will only be able to take bookings of up to six people, will remain in place.

More than 175 publicans and bar owners have joined in unison to protest the curfew. In an open letter to the Prime Minister, the sector predicts that such strict measures will be disastrous for an industry “already on its knees.”

Leading hospitality figures have also questioned the lack of evidence that bars, pubs and restaurants are a significant cause of coronavirus infections.

"A curfew is particularly heart-breaking for those pubs in areas where infection rates remain under control," says Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pubs Association. "There seems to be little available evidence that pubs, with their strict adherence to Government guidelines, are unsafe, so we are unsure that this blanket measure will make a major difference.

“Make no mistake, a 10pm curfew will devastate our sector during an already challenging environment for pubs. Pubs were struggling to break even before today and these latest restrictions will push some to breaking point. Removing a key trading hour on top of fragile consumer confidence and the reduced capacity pubs already face will put thousands more pubs and jobs at risk.”

Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UKHospitality acknowledges that the restrictions will come as a "crushing blow" to many businesses that are struggling to recover. "It's crucial these new rules are applied with flexibility. A hard close time is bad for business and bad for controlling the virus – we need to allow time for people to disperse over a longer period.” She is now calling for a support package to be introduced for the sector.

For some landlords, the introduction of a national curfew raises more questions than it answers. Martyn Reed, who runs The Greyhound Inn in Oxfordshire, remains positive. “The prospect of a second lockdown is concerning, yes, but the curfew will not affect all hospitality venues in the same way. We’re worried about the logistics of it all; how will we get people out by 10pm? Will this rumble on until Christmas? It will definitely impact our busier nights on the weekend and we’ve already limited our capacity."

Similarly, James and Bianca Rix of the Fox & Hounds in Hertfordshire, admit that they had already taken steps in this direction. "When we reopened, we changed our opening hours (closing at 10pm) to limit customers hanging around after their meal anyway. It also reduces our staff costs and time that our staff are interacting with each other and customers too. We have put in lots of restrictions and procedures to make our venue as safe as we can. We feel that this is probably aimed at pubs, bars and restaurants in towns and cities – places with a younger crowd."

Not all publicans are as hopeful. Damien Devine of the Old Red Lion in Angel, London, is devastated by the news. “It’s a punch in the stomach from a business perspective", he says. "Midweeks are dead so the curfew won't affect us Monday to Thursday, but I dread to think about weekends. Last weekend, for example, I did 40 per cent of my daily take between 10pm and 1am on Saturday night. Where does that leave me now?" Devine feels that with this move pubs are receiving the "blame" for the spread of the virus. "If the furlough was still on full, I'd probably close down," he admits.

James Lyon-Shaw and Jamie Dobbin, who run the Brucan Pub Company in Berkshire and Surrey, take the same standpoint. "It’s easy to direct the blame at hospitality because of its inherently social setting, but they [the Government] are completely overlooking the fact that we have all worked so hard to make our restaurants safe. Why send everyone back to work and to eat out in August and then reverse the message so drastically now?"

For Charlotte Bennett, managing director of the Healing Manor Hotel in Lincolnshire, the constantly-changing rules are the biggest issue. "Customers are getting frustrated and a growing few are turning to us as business owners as the people to blame." Bennett adds that the uncertainty is leading to a decline in bookings, as customers fear last-minute changes, and queries whether, as a hotel-pub, the 10pm curfew applies to overnight guests.

The change in message has struck industry bodies as an extreme move. "The news will come as a blow to many publicans across England, especially ones that have been willing to do whatever is necessary to provide a safe, Covid-secure place for people to enjoy the benefits of having a pint with friends and family," says Nik Antona, national chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

David McDowell, BrewDog's global COO, feels that the logic in the curfew in flawed. “What does the government think is going to happen at 10.01pm? Customers leaving pubs and restaurants early and over a concentrated time period, will drastically increase the risk of unregulated household gatherings, as opposed to keeping customers in safe, and highly regulated venues."

Some publicans like Brendan Padfield of the Unruly Pig in Suffolk, are just thankful that the announcement did not include forced closure. "In truth, I breathed a mighty sigh of relief," he admits. "I don’t think we could have come back from that after the initial lockdown. It’s a bitter blow and I struggle to understand the evidence to justify the decision, nor why a curfew will make a material difference. Maybe I should just be grateful that we aren’t shut yet again."