Two of the three remaining pubs in Hertfordshire village close

‘A crying shame’: Locals ‘devastated’ after two of the three remaining pubs in their Hertfordshire village close on the same day

•  The Three Blackbirds and The Spotted Dog in Flamstead call final time at the bar
•  Soaring inflation hits pub industry already reeling from Covid and lockdowns
•  Landlords blame rising costs amid fears the local English pub is under threat

Locals have been left ‘devastated’ after two of the three remaining pubs in a Hertfordshire village closed on the same day.

The demise of The Three Blackbirds, followed hours later by The Spotted Dog in the village, has shocked the community.

The closures highlight the challenges facing local pubs across the country. After struggling through Covid, the industry is now facing soaring prices and higher energy costs.

Last week the village of Flamstead, Hertfordshire, which dates back to the Domesday Book and has more than 1,000 residents, was home to three traditional pubs, all of them centuries old.

But then, hours apart on the same day, The Three Blackbirds and The Spotted Dog announced their closures, with both blaming rising costs, with only The Rose and Crown remaining.

The Spotted Dog in Flamstead has now permanently closed due to the ‘economic climate’

Gareth Farr, landlord of The Three Blackbirds, said: ‘The village is devastated, they’re absolutely mortified that they’re losing two of the pubs, let alone one.’

There were 39,970 pubs in June 2022 in England and Wales, down by more than 7,000 since 2012, according to real estate consultancy Altus Group.

According to Altus, 400 pubs in England and Wales closed in 2021 and some 200 shut in the first half of 2022 as inflation started to eat into their profits. That brought the total number of pubs down to its lowest since Altus’s records began in 2005.

Mr Farr added: ‘We need around £5,500 a week just to break even.

The Three Blackbirds has also announced it is closing, blaming rising costs and high inflation

‘When I moved in nine months ago, it was £4,500. Over nine months, we’re talking about an extra £1,000 a week.

‘The two pubs being so close to each other made it great for the locals to unwind a little bit.

‘The two pubs complemented each other. The Spotted Dog had their gastro kind of set up, while we are a traditional English pub, so I think the two worked quite well.

‘But I now believe that running a village pub is not a viable business option unless you’ve got a lot of money to lose.

‘It’s been very stressful. It’s hard work. I have a construction company as well but the pub life is certainly harder than construction.’

The Rose and Crown in Flamstead is now the only pub open in this rural village in Hertfordshire

In a notice posted on its website, The Spotted Dog said: ‘It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the difficult decision to close our much-loved local village pub.

‘Over the past couple of years, we have invested much time, energy, and resources into running The Spotted Dog.

‘However, despite our best endeavours, the economic climate and rising costs have made it impossible to keep the pub running.’

Simon Goodwin, who has lived in Flamstead for 29 years, said the twin closures are a ‘major shock’.

He fears it will hit local groups and activities such as the history society.

‘At the end of the day it’s the best way of getting bums on seats in terms of attendance – better than anywhere else,’ he said, adding: ‘Covid got us out of routines of meeting up with friends after work and at weekends.’

But he is hoping someone will take on at least one of the closed pubs.

He said: ‘Things have changed and people have realised going out is sociable and fun and something they’d like to do again.’

Every August thousands of people visit the village for Flamstead Scarecrow Festival.

Mr Goodwin said: ‘It’s a crying shame the two pubs will not be there this year. That’s when these places make their money.’

Ros and Edward Thomas have lived in the village for 47 years and said the closures ‘are very sad’.

Mr Thomas said: ‘I think the shock of those interest rates going up must be very difficult.’

Mrs Thomas said she often visited The Spotted Dog for a coffee meeting once a week and believes the pubs played an important role in the local community.

She added: ‘I know people in the village that would go every day for coffee and read a newspaper. I think there does need to be a meeting place for people.

‘But is anybody in the current economic climate going to make a go of running a pub? Is anybody going to take it on? That’s what I worry about.’

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