Andrew McCloy
The views expressed in this post are those of the contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of all members of the Gritstone co-operative.
On 20th March 2020, every pub in Britain was forced to close their doors. Barrels of beer were poured away, staff laid off and bookings cancelled. Fifteen weeks later they re-opened, rather warily, but now with table service, one-way systems and sanitising stations. Latterly a 10pm curfew was introduced; and as I write they’re beginning to be closed again.
In this unsettling and unpredictable time it’s easy to demonise pubs, even though the same commentators seem relatively unconcerned with busy shops and high streets. But an urban bar full of young people is not the same as an orderly, well-run village pub in a rural area with a very low covid infection rate; and to tar them all with the same brush is unfair, ignores the role and contribution of rural pubs and risks permanently damaging the economy of the countryside.
Even before Covid-19 came along, a quarter of the UK’s 40,000 pubs had closed for good in just the last 20 years; and, more staggeringly, the number of small rural pubs had halved since 2001. The reasons are many and varied, including the impact of cheap supermarket booze and home entertainment, changing lifestyles and social behaviour, and the cutthroat behaviour of some pubcos. Perhaps there were just too many pubs; or too many not run particularly well, and Covid was simply another way of weeding them out?
But rural pubs, in particular, make a key contribution to the local economy, especially in popular visitor areas like the Peak District where the supply chain and seasonal employment they generate is vital. Rather inevitably, what assistance has come the industry’s way, such as the Eat Out to Help Out initiative, has tended to benefit the national chains and large roadhouse pubs rather than the village inn or small freehouse.
But quite apart from the economics, pubs in deeply rural areas often play an important social role. Once upon a time there were reckoned to be the four ‘Ps’ which underpinned countryside communities: the police station, post office, pub and parish church. The police station has long gone, many post offices have disappeared and sadly village pubs are not far behind. But some, at least, are fighting back.
Just as Covid-19 has forced pubs to offer take-aways and home deliveries, over the last few years diversification has helped many rural pubs boost their bottom line and widen their appeal – from small scale brewing and hosting post offices and shops to providing campsites and organising cultural events. Some have been funded by initiatives like Pub is the Hub, while the Plunkett Foundation has helped entire communities to purchase and run their much-prized local (over 120 around the UK so far).
In this way, rural pubs are often very different from their urban counterparts. Not only can they provide a focal point for services and underpin the local economy, but the social interaction of the public house – arguably its core virtue – helps tackle isolation and loneliness so often hidden away in rural neighbourhoods. The pandemic has undoubtedly accentuated this deep-seated problem, turning people away from each other as well as from their pubs, with likely long term consequences for our collective mental health.
The countryside after Covid will need its pubs for many different reasons, so let’s not scapegoat these rural institutions and make them yet another casualty of the pandemic.
Andrew McCloy’s book Peak District Pubs – a pint-sized social history is published by Gritstone and can be ordered here.
Header image: © Andrew McCloy – Anglers Rest Community Pub, Bamford
