The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), the leading trade association representing brewers and pubs, has today submitted its response to the Consultation on proposals to amend the Pubs Code.
According to the trade association, whilst pubs across the nation have suffered during the pandemic, it has also demonstrated the strengths of the leased & tenanted model and in particular the partnership between the pub owning company and tenant or lessee.
It says this shows that the leased and tenanted model is working well and that at this time wholesale changes to the Code which could undermine the relationship between pub company and tenant or lessee would be unnecessary and obstructive.
Through the pandemic, pub-owning companies provided £285 million in reduced or cancelled rent to tenants who couldn’t trade because of lockdowns, or whose trade was reduced because of restrictions.
In the same period, these pub-owning businesses also provided additional support such as refunds on spoilt beer, COVID signage and PPE meaning on average their leased & tenanted pubs received £27k in support. That is support separate and distinct to that provided by the Government during the pandemic.