Blizzards could prove fatal for some pubs

Blizzards over the weekend could lead the pub trade into the 'toughest year for decades' according to industry experts.

Winterhill Leisure, which operates struggling pubs for breweries and leisure companies, is predicting that many pubs will struggle to cope with the conditions.

Operations director James Waddington said: "The hundred or so pubs we manage have seen mixed fortunes, with some village pubs benefitting from additional drinkers when they were cut off, but even these venues have been hit by a lack of supplies and deliveries where the snow prevented access, especially in the East of England and Scotland."

"For many hundreds of pubs and restaurants successful trading through the quiet January and February period will be down to careful cash management and a helpful bank manager."

And insolvency experts at rescue and recovery specialists Begbies Traynor are warning that the toll could be too much for some pubs to take.

Julian Pitts, of the firm, said: "Although some local community pubs have seen an uplift in trade as people unable to work enjoyed impromptu daytime get-togethers with friends and neighbours, the majority of rural pubs, town centre venues and restaurants have suffered, and some venues have seen takings slashed by 90 per cent, losing tens of thousands of pounds of much needed revenue.

"It will be January before the real cost is counted, and the knock-on effects are felt when supplier payments and payroll are due in what is the quietest trading month of the year for many."