PUBS face their quietest Christmas on record – with 38million fewer pints and 5million fewer dinners sold from tomorrow to Boxing Day.
Just 3 million pints and 1 million dinners will be served in Britain’s pubs, the British Beer & Pub Association said.
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On a normal Christmas, it would usually expect 41million pints and 6million Christmas dinners to be served.
On Christmas Day alone, a key trading day for pubs, just 260,000 Christmas dinners and 700,000 pints will be served.
Usually, Christmas Day sales alone would exceed 1 million dinners and 10 million pints.
Pub bosses said the stark figures show what impact the Government’s tier restrictions are having on pubs, strangling their ability to trade as viable businesses and survive.
It also said it highlighted how Christmas just won’t be the same for many people this year as they won’t be visiting their local to celebrate it.
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As popular venues for Christmas parties and celebrations, pubs would usually be fully booked for the Christmas period with Christmas menus and festive beer selections already in place to give pub goers the Christmas experience you could only get at the local.
Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “This Christmas will be the quietest year on record for our pubs.
“And it’s all because of the Government’s unfair and unfounded restrictions on them, stopping them from opening properly, if at all.
“As the heart of the community and place many of us go to make the most of the festivities, it is such a shame our pubs will be so quiet this Christmas.
“After such a difficult and challenging year, we all deserve to make the most of the Christmas break with the chance to have a drink at our local.
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“Especially as our pubs need all the support they can get right now.
“If the Government isn’t going to change tack on pub restrictions, then it has to recognise the damage it is doing and do more to protect pubs.
“That means grant support for pubs like those in Wales, which are as much as four times higher than for pubs in England facing similar restrictions.
“Failure by the Government to do this would be failing communities across the country whose local is vital to their wellbeing.”
Earlier in the month, we also revealed how pubs will pull 270 million fewer pints this December – just a tenth as many as normal – as Covid rules wreck trade.
The Sun says
PUBS survived the first lockdown by the skin of their teeth. Ever since, they’ve bent over backwards to stay Covid secure.
But now — through no fault of their own — they are being forced to shut up shop during their busiest season.
Which is why today, we are calling on Boris and his ministers to throw an urgent lifeline to publicans.
Yes, the furlough scheme is helping them cling on to precious staff.
But they are still paying through the nose to rent premises they are forbidden from using.
And without urgent help, they will soon pull down their shutters for the final time.
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Just 30million pints will be sold with pubs shut and customer numbers down at those that can open due to “substantial meal” rules.
Normally, boozers sell 300million pints in December, according to the BBPA based on the monthly sales survey it has carried out for 20 years.
It means as much as £935 million in turnover being wiped-out from the pub and brewing sector this month in beer sales alone.
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