New UK Lockdown Restrictions Will Lead To More Brewery Closures

With Covid-19 infection numbers escalating in the UK, PM Boris Johnson is imposing new measures that could be the end of many pubs and breweries.

The pre-lockdown restrictions have been divided by three different tiers…

• Medium / Tier 1: Rule of six if meeting indoors or outdoors; pubs and restaurants shut at 10pm
• High / Tier 2: No mixing indoors; rule of six applies outdoors; pubs and restaurants shut at 10pm
• Very high / Tier 3: No mixing indoors or in some outdoor spaces; pubs and bars not serving meals are closed

But with Covid-19 numbers on the rise in the United Kingdom, those restrictions will be further tightened in Tier 2 and Tier 3 starting on December.

In Tier 2, pubs and restaurants may only serve alcohol as part of a substantial meal, meaning that bars that are primarily drinking outlets without restaurants must close. And in Tier 3, pubs, bars and taprooms must remain closed except for delivery and takeaway operations.

One amendment that has been largely welcomed by the hospitality sector is the easing of the 10pm curfew. Last orders will now be taken at 10pm, with closing time at 11pm.

But even with that allowance the new restrictions are being called a “straitjacket” which will “destroy the sector,” by hospitality spokespersons, especially as the industry heads into the winter holidays, traditionally one of the most profitable times of the year.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said that the new measures “unfairly target pubs” and is calling on the government to provide the evidence behind its decision.

“If these tighter tier restrictions are forced upon us, far more government financial support will be needed to avoid the resulting carnage. In tier two alone, the new restrictions will mean 90% of pubs will be unviable and will only be able to operate at a loss. In tier three, no pub is viable if restricted to takeaway only. This will also mean our brewing businesses will be hugely damaged too.”

And James Calder, Chief Executive of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), was brutally honest in his assessment of the UK’s new restrictions…

“Today’s announcement is a sucker punch for the independent brewing industry. The tougher restrictions being imposed on pubs at tier 2 and tier 3 mean that trade will be a trickle of what businesses need to survive the critical Christmas period. Wet-led pubs, by definition, cannot offer a substantial meal.”

“Small breweries have lost the vast majority of their sales with the closure of pubs, and now they have little hope for the Christmas period.”