Smoking ban hits pub trade

There are winners and losers with would-be diners pleased to find smoke-free restaurants.

But some regular drinkers - the mainstay of country locals - opt to smoke and drink at home instead of being forced out of a bar on a cold and wet night.

At the popular Star in Waldron, Con Lefort, father of landlord Paul and former boss of The Crown, Heathfield, told the Express: 'I'm really proud of the regular smokers who still choose to come to our pub.

'If it was me and I was sitting at home on a freezing night and wanted a cigarette I'd be tempted to stay where I was.

'But people still come to see their friends and pop outside for a quick puff.

'Paul is anti-smoking and I haven't smoked for many years but I feel for our customers.

'It's all right through the summer but winter is a different matter, especially for people who can't give up smoking.

'Happily most of our regulars have stayed loyal, even when it's pouring outside.'

At The Blackboys Inn, landlord Paul James said the ambiance was sometimes hard to maintain when smokers left a friendly conversation to go outside for a cigarette.

He said: 'We've got a lovely heated outdoor smoking area but we do notice a fall-back in our late evening trade - the people who would come out after dinner for a drink and a cigarette at the bar.'

Phil Tucker of the Alma in Framfield Road, Uckfield, believes his food business has risen since the ban was imposed six months ago.

He said: 'It used to work fine before with smoking allowed in the public bar but not in the restaurant.

'We've put an antique fire bucket outside the door and there's a heated shelter at the back if people want to come for a pint and a cigarette.'

At The White Hart, Buxted, new landlady Bridget de Grey said: 'We've only been here four weeks so it's hard to notice a difference but we have large, heated patio which people seem quite happy with.'

Landlord Kolyas at the May Garland in Horam was more negative.

He said: 'I'd give it a year before we notice the effects.

'But this time of year is difficult anyway.

'People don't want to go out for a drink in the bad weather after Christmas.'

Wealden MP Charles Hendry is waiting for a reply to his letters to both the Department of Health and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform about drinking pubs losing income.

He said: 'The impact of the ban is felt very differently by pubs.

'Gastro pubs have not really seen a loss of income but drinking pubs are losing income, particularly at lunchtimes.'