Pubs reopening despite 'economic doom and gloom'

15 hours ago

David Dixonin Penzance

News image — A sign outside the Star Inn at Crowlas highlights how many pubs closed last year

BBC A pub sign next to a busy main road - It reads "399 pubs are closing , we're reopening !" — A sign outside the Star Inn at Crowlas highlights how many pubs closed last year

Two pubs in West Cornwall have recently reopened after long periods of closure.

According to the British Beer and Pub Association about 15,000 pubs have closed since 2000, the number is down from about 60.000 to about 45,000.

The new landlord of the Coldsteamer pub in Gulval said there was lots of "doom and gloom" in the industry because of rising costs.

While a regular at the Star Inn at Crowlas said having a local pub is vital for community cohesion and added "for our generation this is our Facebook".

A man standing behind the bar in a pub smiles at the camera. He's wearing a grey fleece. — Tim Bennett plans to run the bar by himself to save money on wages

Tim Bennett took over the Coldsteamer as a tennant landlord with Punch taverns and opened the morning after Storm Goretti had passed through west Cornwall.

"The pub was packed on opening night – many people in the village still didn't have electricity but luckily we did – and for the next couple of days people who were still cut off were coming in for a hot drink and a bacon sandwich," he said.

"I think I'm a bit eccentric – I'm now an old age pensioner so I didn't want to get bored and sit around like a couch potato so I decided to run a pub.

"I know the environment is full of doom and gloom at the moment with National Insurance increases and rising costs of things like food and energy, so I am running the bar myself to save on staff costs.

"I want to concentrate on being a hub for the community, a place for people and groups to meet and just a place where people can come out for a natter."

Two men smile at the camera one is holding a pint of beer, the other holds a cup of tea, they are sitting in a pub. — Punters John and Hedley enjoy a drink at the newly reopened Star in at Crowlas in west Cornwall

The Star Inn opened its doors again in December after being closed for about 18 months.

Beeb Ord is the new bar manager for the landlords and said: "Opening a pub again in the current climate is a gamble but even on a Wednesday afternoon there's plenty of people here so I think the gamble is paying off."

John Allen lives in Crowlas and said: "I was really sad when the previous landlord passed away and the pub closed its doors.

"For our generation this is our Facebook, we don't do much online so having a community pub is vital."

Hedley Rodgers also lives nearby, he said: "It's back to being what it should be, a community hub now and it keeps people talking to each other."

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