PUBS CLOSED

March 2020

Then Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for all pubs to close their doors to revellers on March 20, 2020.

It initially left landlords with no income, until government support came into play.

Beer pumps weren’t pulled for well over a year during the pandemic, with many venues being forced to close their doors for good.

At least five pubs have closed since March 2020 with the number across the borough down from almost 200 to 171.

Covid placed extraordinary pressure on the hospitality sector as lockdowns forced closures and, even when sites were allowed to open, restrictions on opening times as well as reduced demand due to punters choosing to stay at home caused problems.

However, as the town starts to bounce back from the pandemic, many pubs are still suffering the after effects. One pub that has opened its doors since the pandemic is Heaven and Ale, based on Agnes Road near the town centre which has since been voted CAMRA’s 2022 pub of the year.

The building - once a chemist - has been converted into a multi-room pub with an additional outside seating area.

It’s been hosting events which support local charities such as Barnsley Hospice and the Barnsley branch of CAMRA described the venue as a ‘fantastic asset for the local community’.

Owner Gary Holmes, from Birdwell, said he had no expectations when he opened 18 months later than expected but is ‘over the moon’ with the support from locals.

“We should have obviously been open 18 months before because of the pandemic but we opened in May last year,” he said.

“There are some pubs that are closing down but I think I’m right in saying that the smaller ones are doing better than the bigger ones at the minute.”