TV and cheap alcohol blamed for pub landlord quitting

Former pub landlord Patrick Hughes says he quit his tenancy at The Royal Mail Cart in Spalding because of a combination of rising costs, changing habits and roadworks outside the venue. The 66‑year‑old took over the pub in August 2025 hoping to draw customers with live music nights and a sense of community. Just over a year later he was packing boxes after ending his lease with Stonegate Group.

Hughes told BBC Politics North that people now prefer to stay at home, watch television, buy cheap drink from supermarkets or off licences and have food delivered. He said a pub like his needs to turn over about £12,000 a week, but after roadworks began outside the premises weekly takings fell from around £8,000 to a much lower figure.

He also blamed higher utility and wage bills. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 27% of pubs and bars in Lincolnshire closed between 2009 and 2025, a drop from 710 to 515 venues. In South Holland, where Spalding is located, the closure rate is almost double at 53%, falling from 75 to 35 pubs. This compares with an England average of 19%.

Hughes urged the government to examine the low price of alcohol in supermarkets, saying taxation there should be adjusted to create a fairer balance. He noted that duty on draught alcohol in pubs is up to 11 pence cheaper than in supermarkets, yet other costs still make supermarket drinks cheaper overall.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a 20% cut in business rates for qualifying pubs, social clubs and live music venues in England, effective from April 2027. Emma McClarkin OBE, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, wants the cut to be made permanent at this month’s Budget, together with a freeze on beer duty and an expansion of the draft discount. She warned that the country is on track to lose one pub a day by the end of the year, with 295 closures already recorded, and stressed that losing a pub means losing heritage, culture, economic value and social benefits.

Just outside Spalding, The Ship Inn in Surfleet Seas End closed last year. Local resident Mark Newlands helped form the Shipmates group, which aims to raise £600,000 to buy and reopen the pub. The building has been listed as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011, giving the group the right to bid if it comes up for sale. Newlands said people are tired of the Covid lifestyle and want their local pub back, adding that interest from investors shows the project is viable.

An HM Treasury spokesperson said the Chancellor prioritised support for hospitality in his first week in office by cutting business rates by 20% for pubs, social clubs and live music venues, saving thousands of locals over £1,000 a year. Stonegate Group has been approached by the BBC for comment.