As vaccination centres, farm shops and fashion outlets, pubs get creative in their fight to survive
With no end in sight for lockdown, pubs are diversifying to stay afloat and supporting suppliers and customers as they do so
12 January 2021 • 3:00pm
Drinkers at the Hogs Back Hangar taproom before the lockdown; its owner wants the site to be used as a vaccination centre
When thousands of pubs up and down the country were first forced to close due to the pandemic, in March last year, many publicans decided to turn their boozers into takeaways, drive-throughs or even bakeries (while cooking free meals for key workers or the homeless). This kept staff in work, provided the businesses some income, and offered a vital community service. Few could have imagined that, 10 months on, they would be in the same position.