Pub chain Fuller’s closes busy London pubs ‘indefinitely’ and hits out at ‘pitiful’ government support

Chain left with ‘no option’ but to close 20 of its busiest pubs

Pub chain Fuller’s has taken the decision to close its busiest London venues as its boss criticised the “pitiful” Covid-19 government support for the struggling hospitality sector.

Fuller, Smith and Turner’s chief executive, Simon Emeny, condemned the “mixed messages” from government regarding the surge in Omicron cases, leaving him with “no option” but to close 20 pubs.

It comes after England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty last week urged people to only attend social gatherings that “really matter to them” and Boris Johnson said to “think carefully’ before attending festive events”.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Emeny said: “Operating a large number of units in central London, we’re really in the eye of this hospitality challenge.

“Being out last night in the centre, it was very, very quiet. The reality in London is that our sales are currently down between 60 and 80 per cent.

“As a result, we are closing 20 of what would have been our busiest sites indefinitely.”

Mr Emeny attacked the “pitiful” level of support offered to the industry, saying there was “very little financial support for anybody at the moment”.

He said: “Engagement with the sector over the last three weeks has been very, very late – and very rushed.”

On top of creating “operational difficulties”, the messaging was also “confusing customers”, he said.

“Clearly the government are being given scientific advice and are attempting to navigate this current crisis.

“But the only way through this though, having given those mixed messages to customers, is to give financial support to the sector. The country needs a vibrant hospitality sector coming out of this.

“My worry for everybody at the moment is those staff that aren’t going to be working on Monday who have got families to feed over the Christmas period, who are working for companies who now have zero sales.

“Who is going to pay them? How are they going to pay their rent, and how are they going to live over the coming weeks and months?”

It follows warnings from Sage of the need for urgent new measures to stem a surge in hospital admissions, telling the government: “Delaying until 2022 would greatly reduce the effectiveness of such interventions.” The government is still “monitoring” the latest data, according to Downing Street.

Meanwhile, Labour has said it will back tougher restrictions with the “right support package”, should new measures become necessary to protect the health service.

Speaking to The Independent on Monday, Labour leader Keir Starmer said a “plan” was necessary and called on the prime minister to “get a grip” after he missed a Cobra meeting held on Sunday afternoon.

He said: “What I said to the prime minister last week, what I say to him again today, is we will act in the national interest.

“Therefore, if further measures are necessary - and obviously if that’s got the right support package around it - we will act in the national interest.

“Now it’s important because that’s the responsible position for the opposition. It’s also important on the back of last week’s vote because, but for Labour voting in the public interest last week, we wouldn’t even have the Plan B measures in place now.

“So my message to the prime minister is there’s deep concern in the country about the numbers. The government, the health secretary, is hinting at restrictions, but the prime minister is absent.

“We need a plan. We need him to get a grip. We need him to share that plan with us and with the public. And if it’s the right plan in the public interest, then we will support it.”