"People still have money to spend but now it is about working harder to get them through the door", says Neil Walsh.
Neil is the landlord at two of Southport's oldest pubs, starting out as a chef, he took over the Windmill with his partner Tom at 26, before saving the historic Cheshire Lines from collapsing in 2021.
It's been a trying few months for pubs in Southport, the seaside town has seen several well-established pubs fall under the burden of rising energy costs. Neil said that pubs need to adapt to the climate if they are going to survive, and landlords need to earn customers' trust more than ever.
