Rhiannon Metters, who runs The Halfway in Tal y Coed, attended a Small Business Showcase at Number 10 ahead of Small Business Saturday.
The event brought together six small firms including artisan food producers, creative retailers and community operators, alongside frontline workers and local champions, for a Christmas market style celebration and the annual lights switch on.
Social anchors
Metters hosted a festive stall inside the Prime Minister’s residence, demonstrating the range of activities the pub provides for residents in the rural Monmouthshire area.
She spoke to the Prime Minister about the importance of pubs as social anchors, particularly in isolated regions where many people, including farmers, live and work alone.
With support from Pub is The Hub, The Halfway has developed a village store and a community marquee to expand its role as a local hub. The store, which began with essential items, has grown to stock goods from more than 15 local businesses within a 10-mile radius, including flowers, butter and locally produced chocolate.
Social connection
The marquee has become a year-round space for social connection, hosting workshops such as wreath making, lino printing and chunky knitting, alongside CPR and defibrillator training linked to the pub’s lifesaving equipment.
Metters said the visit offered an opportunity to demonstrate how pubs contribute far beyond their traditional role.
“It has been a fantastic experience to attend this Small Business Showcase and highlight the important role that pubs have in bringing people together and creating human connections,” she said.
“From a pint by the fire to wreath making in the marquee, from the village shop to live music and shared skills, everything we do is about bringing people together, tackling loneliness and social isolation, supporting local makers and giving our little corner of Monmouthshire a place to gather, laugh, learn and belong.”