The landlords described the difficulties

Behind the Bar on the Kings Head in Pollington, East Yorkshire, Emma Baxter has a problem. She runs a pub in her evening – but it does not earn any money.

It is the last remaining pub in the village after another closure in the village, as well as a greengroker and post office. She says that she cannot take salary from business.

“I run a pub for its love and for the fact that I am a village girl,” she says.

“I am a strong believer in the fact that it is the center of the community and I said that I will continue it when I bought it.

“But my electricity bill has doubled in the last six months – where is that money coming from?”

Emma felt so strongly about the difficult financial situation facing many pubs that she contacted Your voice, your BBC news – An initiative to share stories that matters to you.

As British Beer and Pub AssociationThe number of pubs in the UK has been reduced continuously every year since 2000. Some 15,000 pubs have been closed at that time, including 289 last year – equal to six in a week.

The average price of a pint is determined to increase from £ 4.80 to £ 5.01. Budget measures means that pubs face 9P losses on each pint if they continue to charge the same pre -budget prices. This means that the price of a pint will need to grow from 21p to £ 5.01 for the pub to maintain the current 12p profit.

The industry faced special conflicts during the Kovid epidemic, but Emma believes that things have deteriorated in the last two years – and it has left some pubs that are struggling to stay.

“We saw that perhaps there was an increase in a price in a year if we were lucky [during Covid] – Sometimes we never saw this, “she says.

“Now we are watching three for a year and we are coming another. It will be another in the last two months. So how much is it going to be?”

At the same time, struggling with rising costs, she is trying to woo customers.

“I think everyone is doing their best – but you cannot compromise that service and quality and the environment given by you.

“So you cannot turn around around 9 pm, close all the lights and people sit around a bulb, you know that it is not that people do not come out.”

Pubs work under various professional models. There are free houses that are not owned by a liquor furnace or landlord, where the landlords have bought their beer. These are often run by owners and entrants.

Then there are pubs owned by a bottle of alcohol, which usually sell beer only from a bottle of wine.

And there are firms that are owners of thousands of pubs and are occupied by tenants – often called “pub cum”.

Some tenants are also forced to buy drinks selling from the same company. In some cases they are also responsible for the maintenance of the building.

Maurice, a tenant for one such company in Sheffield, tells the BBC that he is trying to resume his deal to run the pub. He says that if they cannot get better conditions, then they have to close the establishment.

He says, “The prices at which we are charged for souls, beer are ridiculous. I can actually go to a supermarket and buy two bottles that they are charging me for one. But I am not allowed because I am tied,” they say.

He also wants to see that the “pub cum” brooaries offered more help with the maintenance of their pubs, rather than leaving tenants to pursue money to repair.

After being in the business of all his working life, he says that he joined a pub running because of his love for the community, but he is struggling to see a bright future.

“At the end of the day, you have received to earn money. Economically, we are losing at least 1,000 pounds a week. And this is for the last few months.

“I can no longer take the risk of carrying it. All my savings are going on.”

For its share, the UK government says Pub is a central part of Britain’s national identity and is working hard to support the industry.

“We are a pro -business government and we know the significant importance of pubs for local communities and economy, which is why we are supporting them with 1 p cut for relief in business rates and 1 p cut for alcohol duty on draft pints.”

However, campaigners say this is not enough.

Paul Crossman, the landlord of Swan in York, says, “It would be a big victory to bring VAT rate down for hospitality.”

Paul, who is also the chairman of the pressure group, a campaign for the pub, says: “I know that the Chancellor of the treasury will not like it because it will have a cost connected, but certainly getting 10% VAT from businesses that are still open, it is better to ask businesses 20% who cannot maintain it and will not stop.”

There are also some positive stories. Meg and Patrick have recently captured the oldest pub in Cresfield, Derbyshire, and say that their re -opening could not have been better “.

Both former teachers, couple had a common dream to run their own pubs, eventually had enough savings to buy Royal oak at the center of the city.

They say that it has been helpful to have a free house pub, because they are under control of what they do.

The support he has seen in the community of Patrick has given him hope.

“Beer and pubs are such a large part of the cloth of British life that we think it is not something that is going to go away anytime,” they say.