The Crown Shrivenham owner explains reason for closing

The Crown in Shrivenham has said that business never recovered following the pandemic, and will shut permanently on April 1, 2024 after 15 years of the current ownership.

Many pubs around the country have struggled to make enough money since the pandemic with drinks sales falling and costs rising.

Kate Hall owns the business with Phil Kent, who is also chef. Kate said: “It is a real shame for the village. 

“It's quite sad that we're going; I know people’s names, I know what they drink and it's sort of like home from home for a lot of people.

“Now we just want to say goodbye quietly. We did think about having a bit of a party, but that might get a bit emotional. We will just do it this way.”

She explained that it has been a tough decision, saying: “It's been like a roller coaster decision to make but it's just silly to keep going when it's draining your finances.

“Personally, we feel better now that we've made the decision and that we can just look ahead to what we're going to do next.”

Kate explained that since the covid pandemic, business has not recovered despite ‘trying everything’.

They did go down to three days a week to cut costs but found that the money made from one of those days was all going on VAT and tax.

As well as higher costs for the pub, customers are also tightening their belts meaning less customers and income.

She explained: “We were worried we were doing something wrong but it's nothing like that. 

It's just the way of the world. Money goes where it needs to, and this is a luxury.”

The pub announced it would be closing in April earlier in the week on social media with normal trading until then.

Kate also thanked her staff members from over the years, saying that many had become firm friends.

According to the Campaign for Real Ale, 1,293 UK pubs closed in 2023 resulting in 20,000 lost jobs.

Of the surviving pubs, the British Institute of Innkeeping says that three-quarters of pubs were not profitable in 2023.