Cost of living crisis: How a pub in Crawley is coping with the rising costs of supplies and energy

Like most of us, pubs in Crawley need to adapt to deal with the rising costs of supplies and energy.

Sky News reported today (August 30) that “Energy price increases of more than 300% are in danger of forcing pubs and breweries across the UK out of business in the coming months, industry leaders have said.

“Now the bosses of six of the UK's biggest pub and brewing companies have signed an open letter to the government urging it to act in order to avoid ‘real and serious irreversible’ damage to the sector.”

To understand what is going on in the sector, we spoke to a pub landlord in Crawley to find out what is going on and how their pub has been affected.

The New Moon publican Amar Tanna said: “As with everything, inflation is inevitable.

"In our case we had groups of people pre-covid that were regulars at The New Moon, seven to twelve times a month. And we are talking in huge numbers, with the overall economy and financial situation in the UK, the same groups now only visit two or three times a month.

“We have also seen an increase in the sale of premium products rather than basic range. So I feel that mentally people do spend more when they come out but the frequency has reduced drastically.

“The Energy Price increase is absurd. The government says use electric cars and then the electric companies hike the prices.

“As a publican, if the duty on a pint went up by 10p, I would know how much to put my pint price up by, but with the cost of opening your doors shooting up, the energy companies want to take advantage of the current situation, which I find unfair.

“With less drinkers and higher fixed costs, this can only mean prices do go up and the energy company profits instead of the government.

“Overall it is a negative impact, but I personally feel that if the revenue generated sorts the country out and brings back normality and does not just line the pockets of the elite.

A spokesman from Brewery Shades said: “after a drastic two years of dealing with Covid, petrol, price increases, major food price increases, food shortages and availability from catering suppliers, pub utilities are currently tripling and that is the biggest disaster for all small business at the moment.

"Pubs have always been a place in the community where the older generation could meet, socialise and save on there own utility cost but with all the current price increases, pubs are out pricing the community they have always supported and serviced as well as struggling themselves.”

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“It's a short pain to live through for a greater good.”