A pub landlady has opened a microbar in East Lancashire in order to boost profits and help make ends meet during the cost of living crisis.
Joanne Hughes recently opened The Chantry microbar in Church Street, Great Harwood.
The wet bar specialises in cask ales but also serves the usual draught beers, wines and prosecco.
This is now her second business, as she is already landlady of the Victoria Hotel in St John’s Street in the town.
Joanne, 51, says she has opened the Chantry as a financial security blanket as bills increase and the cost of living crisis rages on.
She said: “Times are hard and so many big pubs are closing. I’ve found that these little bars that pop up tend to survive and do well.”
Joanne is worried about the cost of bills at the Victoria when the energy prices rise in October.
She said: “It’s a Grade II listed building. It’s a big old fashioned pub with tiled floors and poor insulation.
“It takes a lot of energy to keep it warm in winter. I don’t want to think about how much the energy bills will rise to in October – but it will be thousands.”
Joanne is also looking forward to her secondary business venture and hopes The Chantry will become a community hub that draws people in from out of town.
She said: “I just want it to be a place where people can go and enjoy a relaxing drink and not worry about anything.
“Since opening, I have received many good reports from customers.
“I also think it’s good for Great Harwood and it might fetch people in from out of town.”
Joanne hopes to have live music at the pub once a month.
In the coming months pubs are preparing to swallow energy bill hikes of up to 400 per cent and also have to contend with the cost of energy required to brew beer and rises in the cost of ingredients, which have also soared.
The heads of six of the UK’s biggest pub and brewing companies have signed an open letter to the Government demanding that they act in order to avoid “real and serious irreversible” damage to the sector.
The Park pub, in Harwood Lane, Great Harwood, closed its doors on Sunday (September 4) due to soaring costs.
Owners Craig and Darina Currie say they can’t afford to keep the pub open as the cost of living crisis rages on.
The pub group which owns the site, Admiral Taverns, is currently looking for a new landlord or landlady to take over.
The Chantry is currently open 2pm-10pm on weekdays and 2pm-11pm on Saturday and Sunday.
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