Pub boss fears for industry as pandemic brings second lockdown

The pub trade will be damaged beyond repair if the government doesn’t get the coronavuirus pandemic under control within the next four months, according to a Peterborough pub boss.
Darren Peachey, whose Venture Pubs company leases the Dragon a tWerringtonDarren Peachey, whose Venture Pubs company leases the Dragon a tWerrington
Darren Peachey, whose Venture Pubs company leases the Dragon a tWerrington

Darren Peachey, whose Venture Pubs Company leases a number of licensed premises across the city and beyond, said he accepted the national lockdown which starts tomorrow and runs until December 2 was necessary, but felt the hospitality industry was once more being punished unfairly and that the 10pm curfew imposed in September was a mistake.

With a portfolio including The Dragon and Three Horseshoes at Werrington, Dragonfly at Orton Malborne and Lime Tree in Paston, Darren said: “If you look at the statistics, it is calculated that around 1% of infections have come from pubs. This is because the majority of our establishments have stuck to the guidance when it has come to being covid secure. But yet again we have to close our doors to the public. It is not a straight froward process and impacts our business greatly.

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“The 10pm curfew was a mistake in my opinion. All establishments have had to close at 10pm and this has caused a glut of people congregating in the same space at the same time around the country. This has caused a spike in the infections, not the pub itself.

“Regardless of that, it is quite apparent that we will not get on top of this virus without a national lockdown. As I said before, the majority pay the price for the actions of the minority. The huge disparities in the public perceptions and actions towards the virus has fuelled the second wave.

“If we do not have a full and clear answer to this situation by March 2021 then hospitality will be affected beyond repair. If hospitality regresses by even 20%, the knock on effects to everyone in the country will be huge. Unless we protect our pubs and restaurants the UK’s economy will shrink faster than predicted.”

While some people outside of the industry might not worry about that, he was keen to point out that hospitality paid, proportionately, the largest amount of tax in the country. Not only that, it has one of the highest amounts of employment rates within any sector of the market.

“I am afraid to say but this is now a balance between saving the economy and saving lives,” he added. “The problem is that both sides will have huge and long lasting casualties.”

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