‘Shame’ moan punters as pub chain with 400 boozers to close ‘stunning’ site in weeks as location branded ‘unviable’

PUNTERS have been left gutted after a major pub chain with 400 locations gears up to close one of its boozers in weeks.

The pub in Reading is set to pull down its shutters on March 31 in a major blow for locals.

The Narrowboat, run by chain Fuller, Smith and Turner, is set to welcome in customers for the final time later this month.

A spokesperson for the chain said the pub was “currently unviable” in its current form and will be transformed into a training hub for its chefs and food development team for nearby sites.

They added: “This dedicated facility will benefit our teams, help us create and perfect amazing dishes for our menus and give us a fantastic centre to develop our chefs of the future.

“We are sorry to disappoint those customers who have become valued regulars of The Narrowboat, but we firmly believe that this is the right course of action to take for the long-term success of the site.”

Locals and punters have gone online to share their devastation at the news the boozer will close, described by one on Google Reviews as “stunning”.

One simply said: “Oh blimey”.

Another said “shame it’s closing cos (sic) it’s a good venue” while another added “oh no! That’s a shame we were hoping to go there”.

Meanwhile, a fifth added: “Shame it’s closing cos its a good venue”.

Fuller, Smith and Turner issued a profit warning in January last year as train strikes saw its sales slump by £4million in the preceding three months.

However, the chain has performed well since, with sales up 17.5% in 2023 compared to the year before, according to a financial report published in January.

The chain also performed well in the five weeks up to Christmas and the New Year, 21.6% up from the year before.

In an article , Fuller’s chief executive Simon Emeny said the chain hadn’t been as badly affected by the cost of living crisis because its pubs attracted customers with more expendable cash.

He said despite soaring inflation, people were drinking more expensive lagers and ales when visiting its pubs.

Other pub chains have been struggling though.

More than 500 British boozers closed their doors for the final time in 2023, The Sun exclusively revealed in January.

Six thousand people also lost their jobs, with pub chiefs blaming the losses and closures on the rising price of raw materials, energy bills and a heavy tax ­burden.

Shock polling carried out by Britain by Survation and exclusively shared with The Sun last month also suggests more than 7,000 pubs could go out of business in the next year.

In October last year, Wetherspoon’s boss Tim Martin said the business was continuing to “perform well”.

But the chain has closed 44 pubs in the last two years with almost half a dozen up for sale.

Stonegate, the group which runs Yate’s and Slug and Lettuce pubs, also sparked fury last year hiking the price of drinks from 5pm to 7pm to offset rising operational costs.

Retailers on the high street have been hit hard too.

Supermarkets including Lidl, Iceland and Tesco have closed branches since the start of 2023.

Meanwhile, retailers such as Poundstretcher, Argos and House of Fraser have been shuttering single stores too.

It’s worth bearing in mind retailers often close branches and open them as a way of balancing their portfolio.

Other retailers have been hit hard, with Wilko, Paperchase and The Body Shop all collapsing into administration since last year.

Combined, it’s seen thousands of staff lose their jobs and hundreds of stores close across the UK.

And in June last year, pharmacy chain Boots said it would consolidate its portfolio of 2,200 stores to 1,900 too.

But it’s not all doom and gloom across the sector as a number of retailers are opening stores as well.

Asda is in the process of opening hundreds of smaller, convenience stores as it looks to rival major players Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

Meanwhile, Lidl is looking to open 12 new stores across the UK, opening branches in Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Reading.

Costa Coffee is set to open 11 concession branches inside larger Sainsbury’s stores throughout 2024 as well.

Wilko has relaunched on the high street under new ownership too, including in Plymouth, Exeter and Luton.

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