Nearly 300 pubs closed in Great Britain last year

(Patria) - Almost 300 pubs in Great Britain were closed in 2024, with around 4,500 jobs lost.

The last round was served by 289 pubs in England and Wales last year, calculated by the hospitality association British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

At the end of December, they estimated that 412 pubs had closed their doors.

Since the beginning of 2020 and the start of the corona crisis, Great Britain has lost just over two thousand pubs.

The most closures last year were in London, a total of 34, according to final data. In December, the BBPA had estimated that 55 of them had closed down.

Owners closed them under pressure from higher borrowing costs and high energy bills.

They also faced weaker demand, the association states, pointing out that citizens were saving more due to higher mortgage and rent costs.

In April, pubs will be hit by higher health insurance contributions and an increased minimum wage, with the BBPA estimating that government budget provisions will cost them 650 million pounds (781 million euros).

Many businesses will face even higher costs from April because tax relief in the hospitality, leisure, and retail sectors will be reduced from 75 to 40 percent.

According to the association, the government should also amend business property tax in city centers, including pubs, to alleviate the burden on the sector.

- The closure of a large number of pubs can be avoided because turnover is good. Citizens want to visit pubs, but the profits of hospitality businesses are swallowed by astronomical bill amounts, and from April, even more costs and levies await them - says BBPA CEO Emma McClarkin.

"The government must urgently introduce 'reasonable' tax rates and gradually introduce new employment costs so that pubs can continue to support the economy, jobs, and maintain their position as the 'heart' of the community," the BBPA stated.