00:00 A long-running Bristol pub has suddenly closed its doors. The Sugarloaf on St Mark's Road
00:07 in Easton has ceased trading with immediate effect. A notice outside of the pub says the
00:13 closure is due to rising costs suffered across all aspects of the business and the health
00:19 deterioration of the licensee. The pub, owned by Star Pubs, a subsidy of Heineken, is hugely
00:26 popular with locals living around St Mark's Road and conveniently located a short walk
00:31 away from Stapleton Road station. But are locals concerned about the future of Bristol
00:36 pubs? "Well, it's probably down to the brewers, the owners, asking for too much rent. Less
00:47 extra payments. A lot of them have to work very hard just to pay their rent." "I don't
00:55 drink alcohol, but I'm not against people drinking alcohol in the pubs if they want
00:59 to have a drink, you know, a typical pint. I don't really go in pubs, not really. I mean,
01:05 I've got, just outside Westfield, I like the cafes here, you know, so I go for a cuppa
01:09 in there, you know, and a snack if necessary. It's a nice place, Westfield's friendly,
01:15 good place." According to Bloomberg.com, in 2023, more than two pubs closed every day
01:22 in England and Wales, with around 383 pubs demolished or converted according to their
01:29 data. 2023 saw four pubs in Bedminster close in a singular day, citing reasons such as
01:35 unforeseen circumstances and the cost of living crisis as reasons for their closure. But have
01:41 locals noticed a decline in local pubs? "Yeah, I think that would really be a shame if we
01:47 lost more of the pubs. I mean, there has been a gradual decrease in pubs since supermarkets
01:54 started selling alcohol, but I do think it would be a shame if more closed down." "I
01:59 think so, and I think part of the problem is that the brewery prices are so high. So,
02:05 yeah." Last year, a community pub in central Bristol had been saved from redevelopment
02:11 into flats by the landlord on one of the city's best-known boozers. Sam Gregory of the Bank
02:18 Tavern in Old City area of Bristol had bought the Crown Tavern in St Jude's, which closed
02:24 its door mid-23. A Victorian pub that was once used for St Jude's Boxing Club. But the
02:31 locals have a favourite pub in the city of Bristol. "Not a favourite one, really. I like
02:37 to go to a variety and try out different ones. I do like the White Lion here in West Freon
02:41 Trim, that's very good. It's very good value." "Oh, definitely. The White Horse here has
02:47 been closed for ages. It's still got a 'To Let' sign outside it. I noticed that today.
02:53 We did have another pub, the Forrester's, that closed. That's now a Tesco. So, yes,
02:59 definitely." Only time will tell what the future of Bristol pubs looks like.
03:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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