Pubs are at the heart of every community, providing employment for so many and the opportunity to socialise with friends and family.
In Telford and across the country, pubs have been hit hard by Coronarvirus restrictions. During the pandemic, many publicans have invested substantial time, money and effort to reopen in a Covid-secure manner, only to find they cannot now open in Tier 2 without serving a substantial meal.
On Friday, Lucy Allan visited the Crown Inn in Oakengates to discuss the challenges facing wet pubs in Telford and what more can be done to help licensed establishments get back to business.
The Crown Inn has served the local community for 25 years and has been recognised for national awards as well as receiving Cask Marque accreditation. The landlord also runs the popular Elephant & Castle in Dawley. During the first national lockdown, they remained open for takeaways and adapted to the challenges presented by the pandemic.
As part of the visit, Lucy learned more about the steps they have taken to continue trading and the specific needs of wet-led pubs who cannot offer a substantial meal to customers. She also listened to the support the landlord would like to see from Government and Lucy will be delivering a letter from the owners of the Crown to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in person.
Commenting, Lucy Allan MP said:
“Our local pubs are at the heart of our communities. I welcome any initiative that will help them survive after months of hardship, and I am committed to ensuring that they have access to the sector-specific support they need.
I would like to thank John Ellis at the Crown for taking the time to meet me, and for his well-argued letter on the needs and concerns of the pub industry which I will be discussing with the Chancellor.”
