Chris Jowsey: the pubs boss lobbying to keep locals in business

Chris Jowsey, of Admiral Taverns pub group, at the Dartford Sports Bar in Kent. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

As the summer drew to a close, Chris Jowsey’s reserves of Geordie good humour evaporated and he finally ran out of patience.

The boss of the 1,000-strong pub chain Admiral Taverns, along with fellow industry leaders, had been sounding the alarm for months about the energy crisis hurtling towards small businesses like a freight train, calling on ministers to come up with a plan.