Cumbria pub owners speak of festive trade pressures into New Year as cost of living bites
ITV Border spoke to two pub landlords over pressures they are faced with
Pub landlords in Cumbria have said they are feeling added pressure following a downturn in trade over the festive period.
James Whitesmith, landlord at Oddfellows Arms in Caldbeck, spoke of the pressures he is facing to keep his doors open.
A downturn in trade has had a massive impact on the pub, he said: "We have lost about three weeks of the season completely.
"Normally the season kicks in around the second week in December and goes all the way through till the first week in January.
"This year it did not start until the 23rd of December, which had a massive impact.
James Whitesmith has stated that he has been forced to close the doors to the pub for a couple of weeks, he said: “With the cost of living crisis everything is getting more expensive.
“I have had to do it [close for two weeks] this time if you think about the cost of lighting all of the log fires, firing all of the equipment up, having the staff on board we would simply lose too much money.
“All of our suppliers have got more expensive, we have held food prices, across the last few months we have only added about 10p to the price of a pint.
"We don’t believe as a business we can do what the rest of the world is doing and put our prices up."
Simon Robson at the The Old Crown in Hesket Newmarket has had a good festive period although business is down on previous years, he said: “Over the Christmas and New Year period it has been really good although it has been down.
"Whether it is due to the bad weather because it has rained throughout the whole period or whether it is down to the economic climate or the energy crisis.
"It certainly has been down a little bit but trade has been okay."
Simon Robson believes he is lucky as he is well supported by the local community, he said: “We are very lucky as we have a big team behind us where their objective is to keep the pub healthy and keep the place open.
"We are also very well supported by the community, because it is their pub, so trade is always good."
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