Westside BID has joined publicans across the area in backing a new national campaign aimed at saving the traditional ‘local’.
The Long Live the Local campaign, backed by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), is urging people to support their local watering hole, and the almost one million workers “behind the glass” who help to keep the industry going.
Dozens of pubs are closing across the country on a monthly basis, prompting the campaign to reiterate its calls for the Government to step in by cutting VAT and business rates, and further freezing or lowering beer duty.
But in the run-up to Christmas, it is also vitally important that people support their local pub, whether in a village, town, suburb, or city centre such as the Westside area, covering in and around Broad Street and Brindleyplace.
Samantha Campbell-Whyte, owner of The Flapper in Kingston Row, said: “Every pub, technically, is a local whether you are in the sticks, a town, or, like us, the city centre where a lot of people live.
“A lot of the residents around The Flapper drink locally here, and we’re also a niche pub with live rock and alternative music every week, so we get a lot of repeat customers coming to see the live bands.
“I agree 100 per cent with the campaign as pubs generally are in a bit of a dire situation. It’s frightening, and some of those pubs which are closing will be lost forever. The pub is part of the community and paramount to the British way of life.”
Jon Ellis, general manager of the Malt House, which sits close to the Utilita Arena in King Edward’s Road, said: “We rely a lot on the arena but we have our fair share of locals who regularly come in as well.
“We have about 10 to 15 regulars in the pub, who we give a 10 per cent discount to. We feel it’s really good to show that we support them as they support us.”
The Long Live the Local campaign said that over the past 25 years taxes have increased to the point where pubs and breweries find themselves overtaxed and under genuine pressure.
Despite recent freezes, beer duty had increased by 60 per cent over the last 20 years, while business rates remained higher than other similar businesses.
The campaign also calls for VAT to be lowered from its 20 per cent rate after being temporarily reduced during the Covid pandemic.
Mike Olley, general manager of Westside BID, pictured above, said: “We wholeheartedly support any campaign that seeks to help our beleaguered pub industry, particularly during the current economic climate.
“And, while the campaign is all about helping the traditional local, many of the popular pub venues on Westside are also local drinking establishments for the thousands of people who live in and around the city centre and those customers who visit on a regular basis.”
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, said: “So many of life’s milestones are marked by sharing a beer, whether in commiseration or joy. Behind the glass there are nearly a million people who make this possible: including brewers, technicians, delivery drivers, farmers and the pub staff at the counter.
“But the industry needs our support to survive. Britain remains one of the most expensive places in the world to have a pint, with beer duty more than double the average across Europe.
“The next parliament must make bringing beer duty in line with Europe a priority – taking at least 34 pence off the price of a pint – as well as reforming business rates so brewers and pubs can continue investing in the future, providing quality jobs and training for people across the whole of the UK.”
For more information about the campaign visit: https://www.longlivethelocal.pub/
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