Top-rated family pub branded ‘proper’ boozer to close in DAYS leaving locals devastated
A TOP-rated family pub is set to close permanently in days leaving locals and punters devastated.
The Sportsman, on the outskirts of Watford, Hertfordshire, will welcome in customers for the last time later this week.
The boozer will close for good on Friday, February 28, as reported by the Watford Observer.
Locals and punters have been left devastated after finding out the boozer will shutter its doors to the public within days.
It comes with streams of positive reviews on Google including one branding it a “proper pub”,
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) also describes the pub as “family-run with friendly, welcoming, service”.
Posting on Facebook about the closure, one customer said: “Gutted to hear this.”
Another added: “So sad to see another one bite the dust.”
A third dejectedly commented: “The only decent pub in the area. The rest are restaurants where pubs used to be.”
The closure of The Sportsman comes after Wetherspoons closed one of its pubs, The Colombia Press, in Watford.
A host of historic pubs have shuttered across the UK in recent months too.
The Ye Olde Swiss Cottage, in north west London, shut earlier this month to the disappointment of loyal customers.
The Abbot’s Fireside near Canterbury, which had been in business since the reign of Henry VIII, also closed for good earlier this year.
Meanwhile, London boozer Dogstar shut at the end of 2024 after 150 years.
PUBS CLOSING ACROSS UK
The wider pub sector is coming under increasing pressure as hundreds of venues close for good.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) recently published figures which said around six pubs shut their doors for good every week last year, resulting in around 4,500 job losses.
The trade body found 289 pubs across England and Wales pulled their last pints in 2024.
The figures revealed London was the most-impacted area, with the capital seeing 34 sites shut for good across the year.
The latest data means the number of pubs in England and Wales has plummeted from 47,613 in 2019 to 45,345 in 2024 – a drop of 2,268.
A map built by The Sun reveals the locations hit hardest by pub closures in 2024.
The closures come as businesses face higher energy bills and with households’ finances squeezed.
Meanwhile, the BBPA is warning more pub closures could be on the horizon due to the upcoming hike in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and national minimum wage.
The trade body has warned that the cumulative impact of the Autumn Budget will create an extra £650 million in costs for the sector, worsening the outlook for publicans.
Many are also bracing for a planned reduction in the business rates discount for hospitality, leisure and retail firms from 75% to 40%.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, said: “The scale of these closures is completely avoidable because pubs are doing a brisk trade.
“Consumer demand is there, however, profits are being wiped out with sky high bills and pubs are facing yet more rates and costs come April.
“We’re right behind Labour’s mission to supercharge growth and can deliver this economic boost across the UK, but only if it is easier for pubs to keep their doors open.”
What is happening to the hospitality industry?
By Laura McGuire, consumer reporter
MANY Food and drink chains have been struggling in recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny’s closing branches.
Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Pizza giant, Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans.