The water crisis in Northants, as it's now being called, is still with us and may be so for another three weeks. And of course it's yet another thing publicans can blame for falling profits.
So to good weather, bad weather, Alistair Darling, hop shortages, England not qualifying for Euro 2008, the smoking ban etc. we can now add Anglian Water Authority to the list of why pubs are supposedly failing.
When however you look at the reasons given by this lady, you lose all sympathy.
We are told that:
Customers cannot have ice in their drinks. Well poor them! I can't really see many people will stay at home because they can't have ice in their G and T, and can't they buy in their ice anyway?.
Chefs are boiling enormous pots of water just to do the washing up. Well so are we at home. It's a sacrifice - live with it! Again it's not likely to keep the punters away.
Pubs are buying in bottled cola and lemonade. Because the normal stuff are "boxes of syrup which are mixed with the water and then carbonated". Bloody hell, I never knew that! Well I shall avoid soft drinks in the pub in future. Oh wait; I do that already!
Actually I've got no sympathy at all. I wouldn't be suprised if drinkng in town has actually gone up these last couple of days, because the beer and other drinks are so safe. It should be noted that the establishments in The Richardson Group portfolio, and not regular haunts of mine. It's always companies like this that do the complaining. Decent pubs just get on with it, and keep providing an excellent service.
