London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 13, 2026

Covid Wales: How are pubs faring as alcohol ban starts?

Covid Wales: How are pubs faring as alcohol ban starts?

Pubs and restaurants have had the first full day of trading without being able to serve alcohol.

The entire hospitality sector was also told it must close its doors from 6pm every night, in a bid to curb rising Covid cases before Christmas.

Some in the industry fear many venues will not recover from the latest restrictions.

Others have reported a boom in daytime table bookings, despite a ban on alcohol.

Ben Browne, owner of the Pitch Bar and Eatery on Cardiff's normally bustling Mill Lane said bookings have been decimated, and he will be forced to close during the week.

He said they normally serve about 250 diners on a Saturday, but with the loss of evening trade, it was down to just 30 for the day.

"Turnover wise, we are forecast to take somewhere between 15 and 20% of what we have normally on a Saturday," he said.

"We normally have 70-100 people for Sunday lunch.

"But we've had so many pull out, we're down to 12 so it's not viable to open - it won't cover the chef's wages.

"I don't know if it's lack of choice or people being scared off."


Cardiff's Mill Lane was one of the city's busiest streets for food and drinks - but now trade is suffering due to the pandemic


He said they have taken a decision to only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in the hope the business can survive the restrictions.

"My worry is people think it will go back to normal in two weeks, that is the public perception, but I don't think it will," he added.

"There will be no chance of a New Year's Eve and we will be closed until January.

"I really am worried about what it is going to be like on the other side of Christmas though, a lot are holding on because of December trade."


They may have only been able to serve non-alcoholic wine and beers - but business was booming at the Gwaelod y Garth Inn


But outside the city centre, it is a different story for others in the industry.

At the Gwaelod y Garth Inn in the busy commuter-belt village on Cardiff's outskirts, business has been booming.

"We opened for breakfast at nine-thirty, and we were fully booked," said the pub's manager Rob Pearson.

"We're fully booked for lunch today, and we're fully booked tomorrow - it's bonkers.

"We phoned everyone who had booked for Sunday lunch to ask if they still wanted to come - 175 people. Every single table is confirmed."

He said the village had "rallied round".

"It's too early to see how the no-alcohol sales will affect us.

"We've managed so far. The staff have been throwing ideas around. If you surround yourself with a good team you will have a good business."

A review of the latest restrictions will take place on 17 December, but First Minister Mark Drakeford has already warned there needs to be "a sustained fall" in the number of coronavirus cases to reverse the alcohol ban.

"We would need to see figures coming down across Wales, we need to see a sustained fall in those numbers and be clear that the trajectory is heading down as well," he told a briefing on Friday.

Conservative leader in the Senedd, Paul Davies, said the national approach from the Welsh Government was unfair on areas with low Covid rates.

Plaid Cymru said hospitality was "paying the price" for a lack of stricter measures after the firebreak lockdown ended on 9 November.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
NHS Trust Secures Funding for AI Tool to Detect Heart Failure Earlier
Government Unveils £4.5 Billion Investment Plan for Walking and Cycling Infrastructure
Nationwide Reports UK House Prices Falling as Borrowing Costs Remain Elevated
Centre for Social Justice Says Two Million Britons Are Using Illegal Loan Sharks
UK Carmakers Warn EU Local Content Rules Could Damage British Manufacturing
UK Government Imposes Emergency Ban on Seven Potent Synthetic Opioids
Royal Navy Completes Major North Atlantic Anti-Submarine Exercise Off Norway
NHS Figures Show Nearly 3,000 Patients a Day Receiving Care in Hospital Corridors
CBI Cuts UK Growth Forecast as Middle East Tensions Drive Inflation Risks Higher
Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary Following Major Government Reshuffle
University College London Study Links Physical Punishment to Higher Risk of Bullying
East Midlands Railway Unveils First Refurbished Train in £60 Million Modernization Programme
RNLI Issues National Water Safety Appeal Ahead of Expected Heatwave
Climate Change Raises Subsidence Risks for Millions of Homes Across Southeast England
Manchester Advances Plans for Underground Piccadilly Station With £1 Million Funding Commitment
Anti-Immigration Violence Continues in Belfast Amid Heightened Security Concerns
UK Law Locks Great British Railways Into Public Ownership
Office for National Statistics Adopts Supermarket Checkout Data for Inflation Measurement
Applied Atomics Launches With $500 Million Space Infrastructure Order Book
BYD Plans Nationwide Rollout of Ultra-Fast EV Charging Network
UK House Prices Unexpectedly Fall in May
CBI Warns UK Growth Is Becoming Increasingly Dependent on Public Spending
Makerfield By-Election Fuels Speculation Over Labour’s Future Leadership
Britain Declines to Join EU SAFE Defence Fund
UK Unveils 2040 Emissions Target Despite Strong Political Opposition
Government Orders Full Review of Palantir’s NHS Data Contract
UK Borrowing Costs Climb as Markets Price in Further Bank of England Rate Rises
Resident Doctors Confirm Five-Day NHS Strike Across England
Violent Anti-Immigrant Riots in Belfast Spark Political and Diplomatic Tensions
United Kingdom Sees Recovery in Horizon Europe Research Funding Share to 9.3 Percent
UK Inflation Holds at 2.8 Percent as Office for Budget Responsibility Flags Persistent Price Pressures
United Kingdom Launches National Anti-Fraud Framework to Combat Rising Pension Scam Losses
United Kingdom Expands Sanctions on Israeli Groups While Funding Palestinian Authority Salaries and Gaza Mine Clearance
United Kingdom Issues Three-Month Ultimatum to Major Technology Firms Over Child Online Safety Controls
United Kingdom Government Moves Toward Blanket Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
Widespread Anti-Immigration Rioting Erupts Across Belfast After Knife Attack Linked to Asylum Seeker
Farmers Warn of Crop Losses Following Months of Unseasonal Rainfall
Civil Aviation Authority Launches Review of Regional Airport Operations
Met Office Issues Heat-Health Alert Across Parts of England
National Grid Introduces New Measures to Protect Winter Energy Supply
Northern England Rail Upgrades Receive Additional Government Funding
Wales Advances Green Hydrogen Strategy to Decarbonize Heavy Industry
UK Expands Recruitment Incentives to Address Shortage of STEM Teachers
High Court Opens Door to Climate Liability Claims Against Major Industrial Emitters
Police Service of Northern Ireland Investigates Major Personnel Data Breach
Defense Ministry Overhauls Procurement System to Accelerate AUKUS Submarine Program
Net Migration Remains Above Government Expectations, New Data Shows
UK and Scottish Governments Agree Framework for Expanded North Sea Wind Development
UK Treasury Launches New Tax Incentives to Boost AI and Semiconductor Investment
Bank of England Signals Continued Caution on Interest Rate Cuts
×