PUBS across Warrington are under threat to an extent we have never seen before. Already crippled by the challenges faced by venues during the pandemic, the industry has faced a second moment of strife due to the ongoing effects of the cost-of-living crisis.
In light of this, the Warrington Guardian decided to run our very first #BackOurPubs day, where I was challenged to visit as many pubs across all of Warrington as I could in the one working day.
The rules were simple, I had to spend at least 15 minutes in every pub, speak to at least one person, and record the entire journey on our Instagram page.
The day began at The Waterside, a lovely pub and grill in central Warrington, the local of the Warrington Guardian office.
With it being 9.30 in the morning, the pub was empty, but thankfully the plan was always to end here – so this wouldn’t be my only experience of a beautifully cosy pup with a good selection of drinks.
Pub two was a simple choice, with few open so early I stopped off at the Friar Wetherspoons in town. It was busy, with a mix of families getting breakfast, and builders getting a morning pint ahead of the day ahead. A highlight was a random man asking if I was Latvian and striking up a full conversation with me as I ate my pub breakfast (I’m not Latvian).
Next up, I worked my way to the edge of town, travelling to Lymm to the Spread Eagle pub. In a picturesque village, the Spread Eagle is perfectly fitting to its surrounding area. The pub is cosy, with a warm fire in the corner keeping the atmosphere comfortable and pristine.
Speaking to landlord Kevin McCarthy, 47, he told me the extreme pressure pubs were under.
Despite regular business, brewing their own beer, and a good selection of pints, even pubs such as the Spread Eagle are being affected by the rising costs of running a pub.
“The energy prices are crazy, we’re having to explain to customers why our prices are going up.
“We’ve gone from paying 12p a KW to 49.”
Across most of the pubs I visited, this was a consistent theme. Energy prices have spiked massively and are taking a serious toll on pubs, with figures quoted to me ranging from being twice as expensive to in some cases like the Spread Eagle, more than four times as expensive as prior to the cost-of-living crisis.
Continuing a rather fancy start to the day, I next travelled to the Little Manor hotel and pub in Thelwall, and then the Rams Head Inn Grappenhall.
Pub number six was the London Bridge Inn in Appleton, and despite being roughly midday on a Friday it was hugely busy. With multiple awards for their beer, this canalside pub was described by someone recommending it to us on Facebook as “a quintessential British pub.”
London Bridge landlord Anthony Curry, 39, reiterated once again what I heard of the pressure pubs are under.
“We’re still fighting and only just returning from Covid times, people are still not feeling fully safe coming out and stuff. It’s been a challenge for three or four years now.”
At every pub where I spoke to the landlord I asked the same question. Are the government doing enough to support pubs?
Anthony gave me the same answer as everyone else who I asked, a resounding no. “Nowhere near enough.”
After this, I travelled across town to the Cheshire Cheese, a pub that previously featured on the Warrington Guardian’s best pubs of 2022 list. After a tiring morning of driving from place to place, the Cheese’s ABBA filled playlist gave me the renewed energy to keep going.
This was helped by the next stop, the Ferry Tavern in Penketh. A beautiful location on the riverside, the outside area was basked in sun and a hotspot for locals taking out their dogs and kids.
On the way out I even got to meet a lovely dog called Sonny who’d attempted to make a run for it from their unwitting owners before I caught him.
The final two pubs in town are institutions of Warrington’s pub community. First up was The Albion, the local of Warrington North MP and head of the APPG for Pubs, Charlotte Nichols, and is widely considered one of the most beloved pubs in Warrington.
Having previously been to The Albion for another story, I once again met the best part of The Albion – Mabel the pub dog.
Mabel is a fixture of The Albion, and an apt metaphor for the community fostered by pubs. Every regular will come in and be sure to buy a snack for Mabel, check in with her, and chat with her owner.
Speaking to Albion landlady Emma Worrall, 55, she told me the importance of pubs as community spaces.
“When we took over this pub 10 years ago, we always said it was going to be for the community.
“Pubs are so important for community. Particularly with the elderly, if we don’t see them for a little bit, we’ll be sure to send someone to check in on them, give them a knock, ask around. Even through Covid we did the same.”
Next up, was beloved Wire pub The Tavern in town. With it being Wolves gameday it was absolutely rammed, with this being the go-to spot for fans to meet before travelling to away games.
I spoke to local Tim Houghton, a former Mr. Warrington winner back in 2010, a fact everyone in the pub was insistent I include when they saw him talking to me. He told me he’d been to this same pub for 20 years, and lauded the importance it held within the community.
That, ultimately, was one of my biggest takeaways from this experience. Seeing people in pubs across Warrington joke around with their friends, find comfort in the community space that pubs provide, and to see the people of Warrington being brought together by a common space.
As such, it was disheartening to see the pubs resoundingly agree that they hadn’t received the requisite support from the government.
With Emma telling me their energy bill had gone from £600 to over £2,000 a month, Kevin telling me their energy had more than quadrupled, and Anthony telling me his award-winning beloved pub had seen two price increases in recent months to meet costs, it is clear that pubs are under threat.
As such, I finished the day by supporting pubs in the best way possible. I popped back to The Waterside, the Warrington Guardian local, and dragged all my co-workers out for a pint.
We will be covering and supporting pubs across Warrington all year. Want us to cover your pub? Get in touch!
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