The view from bars around Wales

Nov 20 2007 by Catrin Pascoe, Western Mail

Mike Coombs, assistant manager of Dempsey’s Irish Bar in Cardiff, said, “Takings are slightly down, but that’s just because of the smoking ban and prices going up.

“But then you get a new influx and a new generation of drinkers and it evens itself out.”

Craig Winter, bar supervisor at the Golden Lion in Carmarthen, said, “This bar had a bit of a slump in the later ‘80s and early ‘90s, but I think it just reflected the economic climate at that time. It had been on the up since then, but now things have dropped off since the smoking ban.”

Michael Jones, the licensee of the White Hart Inn in Builth Wells, said, “I don’t think it’s quite as bad as 49% since 1979 – I’d say sales have dropped by about 20% over that period.”

Licensee at the Red Lion in Old Colwyn, Geoff Hughes, said, “Beer in shops is becoming cheaper every year and it’s as if they’re using the pubs to subsidise the sale of beer in supermarkets.”