A pub boss is backing our campaign to save the Great British boozer, saying landlords face the toughest fight to survive in modern times. Ollie Vaulkhard, 53, has been in the industry for 30 years, and owns 17 pubs employing 400 staff across the North east of England. He told the Mirror : “This is the hardest it has ever been, and I include Covid in that. That is the reality for everyone in the industry. These are hard, hard times. Our cost base has gone up, the profits have gone down.” We launched our crusade on Feb 10, calling for Government action to help save locals up and down the land. Latest figures reveal nearly 300 bars closed across England and Wales last year. The British Beer and Pub Association say that led to 4,500 job losses. Mr Vaulkhard, who runs some iconic Tyneside venues including Wylam Brewery, Barluga and Bealim House, added: “It is a cultural change within the Government which is needed. They need to think about how pubs give people their first jobs, people get married there, we have wakes in them, all sorts of memorable family occasions, a well run decent pub changes lives.

I look at my pubs after 30 years, and I wonder how many babies there are because of these places? How many business deals have been done? How many lives have been changed? Do we as a country value these places? “I think many of us will say yes, we need them and want them to survive.” But recent National Insurance and minimum wage increases have hit smaller businesses hard, according to Mr Vaulkhard. He told how competition and costs have made city centre locations tougher than ever, while pubs in rural areas struggle to find staff.

“If you look at what happened after Covid, the public said that they loved pubs, they loved socialising,” he said. “If you said that we were going to lose 30 percent of licensed venues which have been part of your lives for all your lives, people would say no to that. But we need to do something to help.” He backed the Mirror proposal for a fund to help pubs to ‘keep the industry alive’. We got a lot of support during Covid,” he added. “Now there is a feeling of ‘you have already had your bit’. We are trying to pay back Covid loans when it is really, really hard. Do you want a world of nothing but Wetherspoons and Pret a Manger ? Or do you want a pub run by a husband and wife team who probably know your name? We will not get a VAT cut or some big hand out, so we need a lifeline. For that couple running one pub, they need help to give them hope.”

The reality of running a pub for most couples is long, unsociable hours and more demands than ever before. He added: “The number of licensed premises has dropped by about 20 percent in recent years. We are talking about working men’s clubs, cinemas, restaurants and everything in between.” A recent report warned another 3,000 bars, restaurants and clubs are at risk in 2025, with the average pub making just 12p a pint. The British Beer and Pub Association say it will bring ‘devastation’ for local economies. Mr Vaulkhard explained: “Every one of those pubs gives job opportunities to school leavers. This industry is a great learning curve for young people. I meet people all the time from all walks of life who say: ‘I had my first job with you’. If we are not careful, we are in danger of losing that forever.”

Get email updates with the day’s biggest stories