West Country pubs and hotels prepare to throw away beer ahead of second lockdown
Pubs and hotels across the West Country are preparing to pour thousands pints of beer down the drain ahead of a second national lockdown.
Venues say they will have to waste stock that has been opened, as it will not survive the four-week lockdown imposed by the Government.
Staff at the Royal Hotel in Torquay say date-sensitive products like real ales will have to go.
Manager Andrew Banner said: “Some of it - sealed containers, good dates - will be alright. There are open containers that will be wasted.
“We’ve had a relatively strong year despite the earlier lockdown," Andrew added.
"We, same as many other people, have borrowed and had grants from the Government.
“Hopefully, they’ll be a little bit more support with this next one. We’re not ready to close the doors just yet.”
Thousands of pints of beer were thrown away during the first national lockdown earlier this year.
In fact, the volume of alcohol being discarded was so large, breweries were asked to book designated slots with South West Water.
This is due to the amount of oxygen it takes to break beer down, which can have an impact on local water treatment works.
During the first lockdown, around 100 pubs in the region had their requests to pour beer down the drain declined - as nearby treatment works were deemed too small to deal with the load.
The Polgooth Inn near St Austell managed to dispose of more than 800 pints while The Cornubia Inn in Hayle threw away more than 2,000.
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