A striking example in the many thousands of UK pubs that have closed since the onset of the pandemic, after a thousand years one of the oldest pubs in Britain has sunk into administration.
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (YOFC) in St Albans, Hertfordshire, is one of several pubs that lay claim to being the oldest in England, citing it has been in business since 793 AD. Guinness World Records previously listed it as England’s oldest, but this was later removed due to contention.
Historic England suggests the building itself was probably constructed in the 16th century.
Christo Tofalli has operated it for the past decade and said on social media he is ‘heartbroken’ over its demise.
“It is with great sadness that I have to announce that today, after a sustained period of extremely challenging trading conditions, YOFC Ltd has gone into administration,” he said.
“Along with my team, I have tried everything to keep the pub going. However, the past two years have been unprecedented for the hospitality industry, and have defeated all of us who have been trying our hardest to ensure this multi-award-winning pub could continue trading into the future.”
Christo outlined that business was tough even before the pandemic, faced with escalating taxes and costs, and the already tight profit margins left them “no safety net”. He says the downturn has generated periods of great uncertainty and stress “for all who worked for, and with, the pub”.
The UK witnessed more than 10,000 licensed premises – counting pubs, clubs and restaurants –permanently close during 2020. Many more followed in the following year, shut for months on end and often reopening with strict restrictions amid high viral case numbers.
The final quarter of 2021 brought a modest 1.6 per cent increase in the number of licensed venues in the UK, representing the first quarter-on-quarter growth in over five years.
The net result is there are currently estimated to be 8,000 fewer pubs, bars and restaurants in the UK than there were in March 2020, equating to loss of approximately 13 per day.
The UK Government has been heavily criticised by the hospitality industry for not providing more support.
Freehold owners of the YOFC, Mitchells and Butlers, are looking to negotiate a new lease arrangement with a new tenant and the Fighting Cocks is expected to eventually reopen, under new management.