A HALESOWEN pub landlord who had to pour £3.5k of beer away during the last lockdown says he is staying "positive" and will be ready to open up his outdoor space in April.
Mark Griffiths, of Picks in Halesowen High Street, says if pubs do open on April 12 they must be allowed to remain open to be able to make a living.
The PM announced yesterday (Monday) on his road map out of lockdown that pubs and restaurants are set to open for outdoor, seated service on this date.
Then on May 17 indoor hospitality is set to reopen.
Mark, who has six staff at the pub, is hopeful and says he will open, but is worried about the logistics of being able to make enough money operating from an outdoor space only.
He has got to throw more beer down the drain now after having to pour away £3.5k worth during last lockdown.
The 50-year-old said: "It's possible, but it's whether you can make enough money. We have got an outer terrace which we will open on April 12.
"It also depends on the weather. We are looking at ways that we can make it work.
"We have got to think positive because it has been bad.
"Once we open we have got to stay open. We have had so much beer wasted.
"During the last lockdown I had to throw £3.5k of beer down the drain.
"As soon as you put a barrel on you've got ten days and then it's no good.
"Then every barrel on the lines has got to go down the drain.
"We have been shut since November. It's not as bad this time as the first lockdown, but I've still got to throw beer away.
"To keep opening and closing it's about the wastage and the staff morale.
"With the vaccine I'm hoping this is the light at the end of the tunnel - we have had it tough.
"When we were open we were very strict, we were operating track and trace and were doing temperature checks at the door, waitress service and if people left their table they had to put face masks on."
The inside of the pub
The table waiting service will return on April 12.
Picks is one of Halesowen's oldest pubs and had been boarded up for around 18-months before Mark opened it, after carrying out a £12k revamp in 2019. It is owned by Heineken.
The pub opened around 1854 and was originally called the Lyttleton Arms, but was later renamed as a nod to former owner - Billy Picks.
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