Pub closes doors as landlady loses £93k

A pub in South Staffordshire has closed suddenly after the landlady lost almost £100,000 in less than three years.

Fiona Coyle, who ran the Seven Stars pub in Seisdon, claimed owners Punch Taverns failed to respond to her pleas for help.

The 31-year-old landlady said Punch continued to charge "over-inflated" prices for beer despite her struggle to keep the business afloat. She said she had sunk £93,000 of her own money into the pub. "I repeatedly asked Punch for help but the most they did was to tell me to put fewer chips on the plate," she said.

"I increased trade by 39 per cent but with the recession we had to keep prices low. We had to buy our beer from Punch at twice the levels a freehouse could get.

"My utilities also went up by 25 per cent — I had no choice but to close or I could have been bankrupt."

The closure has left at least one couple without a venue for their wedding reception.

Steven Brooks, a West Midlands Police officer, was hoping to celebrate his wedding with partner Clair Thomas after tying the knot in Las Vegas on April 13.

They now face searching for a venue in the area with just a few months before the big day on April 30.

Mr Brooks said: "We had been going to the pub for almost a year and it's a lovely, family-orientated village pub.

"We knew nothing about it being closed until we went down at the weekend and found it all shut."

A spokesman for Punch Taverns said: "We have provided a great deal of support to our partner at the Seven Stars, from concession on rent and the highest discount band for her beer and drinks, to providing catering support to help her develop a strong food offer.

"An investment scheme was also carried out to improve the appeal of the pub and to help grow trade.

"Unfortunately, our partner has taken a decision to surrender her lease."

The spokesman added:"Our priority now is to re-open the Seven Stars as soon as possible.

"We are actively recruiting a new licensee who we look forward to working closely in partnership with to build a successful, sustainable business."