Pubs across the UK will be forced to close due to energy costs soaring by as much as 300%, brewery bosses have said.
Leaders of six of the country's largest breweries have called for "immediate government intervention" on sky-high energy bills this winter.
The landlord of one pub in Essex told the BBC that his energy costs had risen from about £13,000 a year to £35,000.
Pub owners said the energy crisis would cause "real and serious irreversible" damage to the industry without support.
In an open letter to the government, six pub and brewing groups - JW Lees, Carlsberg Marston's, Admiral Taverns, Drake & Morgan, Greene King and St Austell Brewery - called for urgent intervention, including a support package and a cap on the price of energy for businesses.
Rocketing energy bills come at a time when the number of pubs in England and Wales is falling, hitting the lowest level on record - 39,970 in June, according to analysis.
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Simon Cleary, who runs the Plough in Great Chesterford, Essex, said his gas and electricity bills had nearly tripled to £35,000 a year.
It means the pub now needs to generate a further £1,800 in takings per week to cover the costs.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62688692
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