Saturday 5th June 2021
Sales decline despite opening
British pubs serve less beer
For a few weeks now, guests in Great Britain have been able to be served indoors again, but there is not much left of the initial euphoria. Many pubs have to cope with a significant drop in sales. The industry association is urgently pushing for further easing.
Despite the opening of indoor catering in Great Britain, the pubs are complaining of a significant drop in sales. In the week of May 17, the first after the corona regulations were relaxed, sales were 20 percent below the comparison week in 2019, said the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA). The association blamed the existing restrictions for this. In pubs, too, guests may only be served at the table, a distance of at least one meter applies and standing is prohibited.
If the trend continues, each pub will lose an average of around 94,000 pounds (110,000 euros) a year, the BBPA calculated. To make up for this loss, each pub would have to sell an additional 24,672 pints of beer (0.568 liters each). Association boss Emma McClarkin warned that the bad news dampened the joy of the pubs about the allowed openings. “If that initial enthusiasm for going back to the pub wears off, sales could drop even more and make it impossible for pubs to break even,” she said.
The association is urging that the government stick to its plans and lift all remaining corona rules on June 21. “Without the restrictions being lifted, thousands of pubs will not be viable and may be lost forever, even though they are reopened for the time being,” warned McClarkin. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering postponing “Freedom Day” in view of the increasing number of new infections and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.
High requirements due to corona regulations
The British gastronomy is currently under a lot of pressure anyway. Only recently did the BBPA warn of a “serious” labor shortage. The association blamed various reasons for this. The requirements are high because of the corona regulations. Above all, there was a lack of EU citizens who had taken on numerous jobs before the pandemic and were not returning because of the Brexit. The association demanded that the government should show a “more flexible” approach to migration issues.
Since leaving the EU, EU citizens who want to work in Great Britain and have not previously lived in the country need expensive visas. The head of the pub chain JB Wetherspoon, the vocal Brexit supporter Tim Martin, recently called for simplified visa rules. According to the UK Hospitality gastro association, which also represents hotels and restaurants, there is a shortage of around 188,000 workers.
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