How pubs and bars in Mumbles have coped during lockdown
By Beth Thomas 21st Jan 2021
Pubs around the country have felt the impact of the pandemic since restrictions were announced in March last year.
Welsh pubs, restaurants, and bars were banned from serving alcohol and forced to shut by 6pm from 4 December. The First Minister then announced tougher restrictions from 20 December, with bars and restaurants only being able to open for takeaways.
Richard Bennett owns The Pilot on Mumbles Road, a pub that has been around since 1849. This year, however, it has only been open for three-and-a-half weeks since restrictions first came into place in March.
"We're one of the busier pubs in Mumbles. We have a loyal following and a lot of tourists come to The Pilot because it's on the seafront, and that's year-round not just in the summer," said Mr Bennett, who took ownership of the pub 8 years ago.
When pubs were able to open outdoors in July, The Pilot was unable to do so as it has no outside space. Staff were put on furlough from the beginning of the first lockdown.
"When we did re-open, a lot of our regulars came back, obviously at a reduced number because with the restrictions you couldn't get so many people in. The support we had was really good.
"We did ok and we covered our costs which is all we tried to do when we were opened. The staff were glad to be back in work as well, so it was going well until the lockdown on 4 December.
"If we're allowed to re-open March-time, I think we'll be fine," he said. "The government support has been pretty good, although I think it's dried up a bit now. On the whole, I think it's been pretty fair."
Kevin Martin and Samantha Davies of the Park Inn on Park Street say that they have had a similar experience. While they used the first lockdown to re-decorate the pub, which has been around for approximately 150 years, they found it difficult to adapt under the restrictions.
"What we're known for is real ale, which is a perishable product, unfortunately – literally within three days. If you haven't sold a barrel, you're chucking it down the drain," Mr Martin, who took over ownership of the pub in 2003, said.
While Mr Martin praised the efforts of the Welsh Government to support businesses financially, he added that being able to pay rent was one of the main issues for businesses in the area.
"I go through days of feeling fairly optimistic and then days of feeling total doom and gloom, which I'm sure doesn't just go for the pub industry but for people who work anywhere," he said.
"The biggest problem I've had personally is the vagueness of an end date. If the pub is open by April I would be surprised, and if that's the case it would be 13 months of basically being closed."
"It was more about our customers than us, because there's such a community with a local, backstreet, village pub – it's a community hub for our customers. We support them with what's going on in their daily lives," Ms Davies added.
The pub has turned to other ways of connecting with the community, setting up a WhatsApp group and doing shopping for some of their customers.
"The pub is that very old-fashioned community thing. They have their weddings here, they have their funerals here," Mr Martin said.
"People who I've bumped into have said that they really miss that social interaction because it's a support network."
Cakes and Ale on Newton Road furloughed their staff when the restrictions came into force and re-trained them based on government guidelines.
The business introduced new ventilation systems and redesigned the interior to accommodate social distancing, as well as introducing a delivery and collect service, an outdoor space and online ordering via Just Eat and the Cakes & Ale App.
"Cakes & Ale relies on all day trading including alcohol sales as part of its business model. Without those options takeaway food on its own is simply unviable," a spokesperson said.
"There are no guarantees but if the world can get back to a level of normality by Spring, then the café bar will once again open the doors and do what they do best in providing a great experience for all those wonderful customers, who travel from far and near to enjoy their
Cakes & Ale," a spokesperson said. A review of the current guidelines in Wales is expected by 29 January, but Vaughan Gething, the Health Minister, has said that no "significant easing" of Covid restrictions should be expected.We've just launched in Mumbles! Learn more about us on our socials:
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