Pubs Matter campaign returns

This week sees the relaunch of the #PubsMatter campaign, with thousands of consumers taking to social media to call on Rishi Sunak to rescue the UK's fragile pubs with an emergency package of support.

In December 2020, the #PubsMatter campaign was launched by a coalition of industry partners - including the BII, CAMRA, the BBPA, SIBA, the Independent Family Brewers of Britain and UKHospitality - to remind politicians just how important pubs are to local communities across the UK.

The recent roadmap for reopening leaves pubs closed for a further three months and, for the majority, no way to open their doors again until at least 17 May.

“Pubs and breweries across the UK have been among the hardest hit businesses in the pandemic, but we also know that they will be the most needed, with the public desperate to get back to those places that allow them to celebrate, commiserate and reconnect with each other once restrictions are lifted," says a spokesperson for the campaign.

“While the roadmap from the prime minister gives us all hope for a return to more normal life in the summer, our pubs and the supply chain of businesses that support them cannot hold on until then without a further urgent package of support.

“Our sector will be one of the first to bounce back, making it a key part of the economic recovery of our nation and will support employment for the thousands of people who have lost their jobs over the course of the last 12 months. The package of measures must support all businesses, including our traditional wet-led pubs, otherwise a large part of the UK’s heritage will be lost forever.”