We Love The News: Pub landlords talk about how the newspaper's support is helping them fight back
PUBS have been among the hardest hit businesses during the pandemic.
With lockdown forcing closures, and time in between bringing in vast changes with social distancing and other covid prevention methods, it’s been a rollercoaster for landlords.
The News has run its Love Your Local page for nearly 10 years – supporting the pub industry and shining a light on the good work bring done at boozers across the area.
And when the coronavirus pandemic hit, The News continued to feature stories from our much-loved pubs, in order to continue its support for the industry.
One pub that’s been featured on the Love Your Local page is the Roebuck in Wickham. Last summer it was taken over by Sara Pollard-Dambach and her partner Oli.
The couple, from Hayling Island, have thrown everything at the pub in order to make the business work – and to stop the landlord from selling it, which could see i t turned into houses.
Sara, who is in the process of moving to Swanmore, said: ‘We are doing all we can to make it work. We still haven’t secured our lease and it’s now five months in. We are throwing everything at it to prove that we are a viable business.
‘Hopefully he won’t sell it and will keep us on, but it’s a community venture – we need everyone’s support.
‘The landlord has been great but he's keeping a watchful eye over everything that happens. We have been getting some amazing testimonials and reviews from people saying how much they love us.
‘Pubs are not due to open again properly until May so we need to raise enough funds to make it work until then. We want to stay.’
The pub has been able to stay in business by selling takeaway food - such as Sunday roasts, burgers, fish and chips - and it plans to launch a schnitzel burger this week.
The pair say they are grateful of the community support shown so far, and they have set up a Facebook page called Save The Roebuck Inn – Wickham to carry on their campaign.
Sara said: ‘The News has been fabulous and has supported us the whole way through. The kind of coverage it gives us w ill hopefully raise more support and help us stay.
‘We’ve had to pour so much beer down the drain because of changes to the rules, it’s been so sad. Hopefully things will brighten up soon.'