Economic recovery might come too late for rural pubs

Consumer spending might be back on the up, particularly in the hospitality sector, but it has come too late to save some of Bristol’s landmark pubs.

This is the view of hotels specialist Peter Brunt from Colliers International who said that while there had been an upturn in business recently, there were still many rural pubs suffering from the harsh market conditions. He added that suburban areas were being hardest hit, stating: “One factor could be the sheer number of pubs in these suburban locations, whereas they tend to be fewer and far between in the rural areas and villages.”

Mr Brunt’s comments come on the back of the news that one of Bristol’s iconic pubs, the Air Balloon Tavern in St George, has been closed and will be turned into nine flats. He said: “The Air Balloon Tavern is not the only pub where an alternative use has been considered or attempted, especially given the chronic shortage of new housing across the West.”

According to CAMRA, a real ale campaigning group, pubs are closing at a rate of 31 per week across the UK. Mr Brunt commented: “It’s clear the recovery we have seen in some areas hasn’t happened across the board. Some businesses will inevitably struggle while others might just be able to ride out the recession and emerge stronger than before.”

The result is that there is an ever-strong presence of pubs being marketed for sale. With the economy now clearly improving, the time could be right for a business or individual to enter the market.