Christmas takings in pubs, bars and restaurants falls by almost 80%

Pubs, bars and restaurants across the UK have suffered a slump in takings between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day compared with the same period last year amid a series of venue closures over the festive period.

Overall takings plummeted by almost 80 per cent across the venues while the total sales during the three-day period fell by 79.4 per cent compared to last year, figures from the hospitality management company S4Labour revealed.

The survey, which took data from more than 2,000 hospitality venues, also found that sale of food fell by 64 per cent and drinks by 84 per cent.

Meanwhile Boxing Day saw sales plummet by 88 per cent compared to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The stark number comes as pubs and restaurants in the harshest Tier 4 bracket were forced to shut their doors ahead of the festive period after Boris Johnson cancelled Christmas for 16.4million people amid a new mutant strain of coronavirus.

Richard Hartley, S4Labour’s chief product officer, told The Guardian: ‘This unpredictable year has ended in very suppressed Christmas sales due to ever increasing Covid restrictions, and it’s not looking likely to change for a while yet.’  

Earlier this month, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), the leading trade association representing brewers and pubs, said the Government’s new tier restrictions was yet ‘another blow’ to the industry.

The body warned that fall in pub sales could cost the industry £650million unless the Government provided a greater package of financial support.

Responding to the new restrictions this month, Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: ‘The update on the virus and associated tier restrictions today is yet another blow to a sector already on its knees. 

‘It is clear that it is going to be the longest winter in living memory for Britain’s pubs and brewers. 

‘Unless there is a greater package of financial support from the Government to secure our pubs and the brewers that supply them, a wave of business failures in the New Year is inevitable.

‘We desperately need the Prime Minister to step up to the plate and commit to an enhanced package of measure for pubs and brewers. 

‘If the Government acts now they can still secure pubs and jobs by giving locals in England the sort of support those in Wales and Scotland are getting. Without this the outlook is very bleak indeed.’ 

This month pub industry bosses said UKHospitality said 150,000 jobs were at risk after pubs and restaurants were forced to shut in London – and there are now fears over how long the closures will last.      

It comes as Britain today recorded 41,385 cases of Covid, in the largest one-day increase since the pandemic began. 

Department of Health bosses also recorded 357 more Covid deaths today. However, fatality tolls on Mondays and bank holidays are always affected by a recording lag, meaning the daily counts will inevitably spike later in the week. 

Experts have warned the Prime Minister to implement stronger measures and said number of Covid patients in NHS hospitals in England was ‘on course to exceed the first wave in the next few days and, possibly, top 20,000 on New Year’s Eve’.

While hospital bosses have also urged the public not to party on New Year, with fears of any gatherings leading to another surge in infections.