Despite being known as England's oldest pub, a boozer in St Albans is 'fighting for survival' as the cost of living crisis threatens to cripple the business.
The pub has been serving customers for more than 1,200 years, but has become one of the many affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
The Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, Hertfordshire - which first opened in 793 - has survived the English Civil War, 17 recessions, two world wars and five pandemics, including the Black Death and Covid.
However, it now faces an uncertain future due to spiralling energy costs.
Landlord Christo Tofalli said the company, called Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (YOFC) Ltd, had been struggling to turn a profit for several years - due to rising costs and tax hikes - and the pandemic then had a “devastating” impact on the business.
Ronan Gaffney, the general manager of Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, added: “It’s outrageously more expensive.
“It’s not like at home where you can turn everything off but the fridge and freezer, we’ve got certain things that need to stay on for health and safety and general upkeep.
“And our light bill is 10 times more than what it is in a house because at home you can turn off all the lights except the one you’re in. But you can’t do that in a pub.
“So we don’t have a choice, we can’t really cut down on energy bills but we are being charged double the amount.”
WIth winter on its way, Mr Gaffney has warned pubs will see extra costs, and for many, fewer customers, adding: “Winter for a lot of pubs, like my own, is the quiet season.
“If pubs don’t have an infrastructure or financial backing then I can imagine that a lot of them will struggle.”
The alehouse is one of many that are currently battling to stay in business, as they face blows from the cost of living crisis and soaring energy prices.
Issues have been further worsened due to the rocketing gas prices around the world – that increased further after Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
Reportedly, researchers have warned that a staggering three-in-four of Britain’s watering holes are at risk of closing this winter due to rising costs.
Mr Gaffney continued to say that it will be a challenging time for all pubs across the UK, and the problem is one that can only be solved by those in authority.
Therefore, he is calling on the government to take action as the energy cap is due to be increased again - squeezing households and businesses even further.
The general manager said: “Pubs have done all they can since the start of the pandemic. They have been up in arms for the last three years and nothing has been done about it.
“The only thing to do now is to keep appealing to the government as it’s not just pubs that have been messed around, it is everyone.”
In a huge blow for many business owners, earlier this week a leisure industry leader warned that pubs and breweries are facing a disaster “more devastating than the pandemic”.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, believes that pubs that “weathered the storm” of Covid now face closures and job cuts.
She said: “Soaring energy bills are forcing publicans to make tough choices, with many already reducing opening hours to remain viable. It could have a worse impact than the pandemic.
“Publicans are between a rock and a hard place. They are trying to cover their costs, but they also have customers who are tightening their belts. It’s completely unsustainable.”
Therefore, business leaders from across the industry have signed an open letter to the government and Tory leadership candidates calling for urgent help before it’s too late.
When the Ye Olde Fighting Cocks was originally established in the eight century - before England was united under one monarch - the business was known as The Round House.
Despite being no record of it holding a license as a public house under that name, in 1756 the alehouse began trading as The Three Pigeons
Around 1800, its name was again changed Fighting Cocks, thought to be a reference to the sport of cock fighting that was popular at the time.
Today, it is one of around 10 pubs laying claim to being the oldest in England.
