The past 18 months have offered a unique set of challenges for already under-strain pubs in St Helens.
With the hospitality industry just beginning to get back on its feet following the pandemic, the cost of living crisis has placed even more stress on pubs and bars. Rising energy prices and supply issues have meant many places have had to increase the price of beer.
Coupled with St Helens Council's ambitious plans for the town centre, which could place the future of one of the oldest pubs in the area into jeopardy, if a complusory purchase plan goes ahead - the first quarter of the year has been a difficult one.
READ MORE: Old meets new as city pubs face challenges of changing times
Andy Evans has been landlord of the Cricketers Arms on Peter Street for ten years, and the pub regularly ranks among the highest in St Helens on review sites. But the 50-year-old admitted there were times during the pandemic that he feared the pub could go bust.
He told the ECHO: "The strain on the business was unreal, the amount of stock we had to throw away, and the stop-start with opening and closing was so hard on us. Then when the government put an end to furlough, we had to hire 80% new staff because the old staff didn't want to come back from furlough.
"Then we could only open the outside with table service which itself was a nightmare, we did okay and were busy a lot but it was so labour intensive for the staff, there was so much hard work involved. We were doing okay with numbers, but there were times we may have gone bust if it hadn't been for government grants."
The cost of living crisis has also put a strain on Andy and his wife, who live above the pub however, it hasn't stopped customers from coming through the door. He added: "We just had a record-breaking January and it's unreal, I don't know if it's a combination of people coming into the pub to keep warm with the energy prices, or just wanting to get out more after the pandemic, but we're doing well at the minute."
Andy attributes the prolonged success of the Cricketers to the sense of community, and loyalty of his regular customers. The success of the team's microbrewery encouraged Andy to open a pizza kitchen in the pub, which he hopes will bring in even more custom.
One pub with differing fortunes, but an equally loyal customer base is The Swan Hotel, in the town centre. One of the oldest pubs in the area, The Swan looks to be one of the main casualties of the council's plans to overhaul the town centre- with a compulsory purchase order being forced through to level the premises.
The order will mean that the council can purchase the land from the brewery and Angela, without their consent- and then demolish the pub.
St Helens Council claims the land will be used for landscaping as part of the proposed new bus station. Angela Hindley has been at the helm of The Swan for 13 years, having sold her house to take over the pub and moving in upstairs with her son.
The 54-year-old now fears she will lose her home and her job if the council's plans to demolish the pub are carried out. She told the ECHO: "I was on holiday in September 2022 when a member of staff forwarded an article to me saying the pub would be demolished, that's the first I heard of it.
"We've been told the area is a conservation area, and that it's important for any work to be in keeping with the heritage and culture of the area. This pub has been here for 130 years and never been closed down. I don't see demolishing a 130-year-old pub as 'in keeping with the heritage of the area'."
"I'm not going to give up, this is my home, this is my family's home. We serve all walks of life here, old and young come together. For a lot of the older generation, I wonder where will they go if we closed."
St Helens Council however, claims that a viable use for the pub "cannot be found". A spokesperson said: "The site of the Swan Public House will form an integral part of delivering the new larger and improved bus station facility and as such will mark an exciting step forward for St Helens town centre.
"Accordingly, any alternative reuse of the building or the site is not considered to be a viable option.”
Outraged customers started a petition to save The Swan, which received over 1,900 signatures.
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