More than 150 London pubs, bars and restaurants closed permanently last year
More than 150 London pubs, bars and restaurants closed permanently last year, the latest figures showed as the coronavirus pandemic continued to wreak havoc on the sector.
The number of licensed premises in the capital in December shrunk 4.5 per cent compared to the previous year.
That represented a drop from 3,460 venues to 3,303 – meaning 157 sites closed their doors for good between December 2019 and the end of last year.
Birmingham and Leeds were the only other major British cities to suffer a larger percentage drop than the capital, losing 8.5 per cent and 5.6 per cent of sites respectively.
In total, 5,975 licensed premises closed across Britain last year- a 5.1 per cent drop – according to the latest research by CGA and restructuring firm Alixpartners.
Closures over the year were close to triple the 2,171 recorded in 2019, highlighting the vast impact of the pandemic and Covid-19 restrictions on trading in the hospitality sector.
Experts warned that the restrictions put in place throughout December will “undoubtedly have caused more business failures.
“The only question is how many,” the report said.
“Businesses, their funders, landlords and other stakeholders urgently need certainty and a roadmap to reopening,” Alixpartners director Graeme Smith said.
“The rapid rollout of the vaccine offers hope, but with restrictions unlikely to be lifted until Easter at the earliest, the coming months will likely see more sites lost for good.”
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, urged the government to back the industry.
She said: ”Given this latest evidence showing how the Covid crisis and lockdown is ripping pubs away from their communities for good, it is more important than ever that the government backs our local pubs and brewers.”