Owner of the Milton Arms in Portsmouth says site will remain a pub after landlord leaves
The former landlord of The Milton Arms has said the venue has been ‘killed off’ by the lockdown – but the owner remains committed to keep the site open as a pub.
Former landlord Colin Nash took on the Milton Road boozer in 2016, but on Monday he closed its door due to the heavy toll of the nationwide lockdwn.
Colin said: ‘We’d still be here if it weren’t for lockdown – it’s killed the pub off.
‘All the bills have built up, and we cannot get people through the doors.
‘I think people have got used to sitting in their garden and they don’t want to go out.
‘I can’t stay open with no more than 15 people in at a time – I can’t afford it.’
The pub had received a £10,000 business grant from the government, but Colin said there wasn’t enough support for landlords.
He said: ‘I don’t think that I’m the only one in this position.
‘I don’t see myself going back into the pub game.’
Reacting to the outpouring of support from customers on social media, Colin add: ‘I’d like to say thank you our customers and everyone who has supported us – I wish them all well.’
Owners Ei Group, which is owned by pub company Stonegate, said it plans to reopen the venue ‘in the very near future with a new publican’.
A spokesperson frpm Ei said: ‘We would like to reassure customers that we are committed to ensuring that this site remains a thriving pub at the heart of the local community.’