SOUTH Yorkshire publicans hoping to set up a national campaign against "extortionate" beer prices have taken their protest to Parliament.
Landlords of boozers owned by Enterprise Inns, Britain's second largest pub company, say the amount charged by the company per barrel - up to 70 per cent above wholesale prices - could force them to go under.
Aston landlords Roger Davis of the Yellow Lion and Tony Manderson of the Roland Arms, travelled to London with Anne-Marie Ball, David Ball and Wayne Hodgkins of the Fleur-De-Lys in Totley.
They met with a cross-party working group of MPs campaigning to save community pubs, chaired by Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland.
Roger said: "There were other publicans there from other parts of the country too. The MPs had heard from the pub companies before but not from licensees. We put across our arguments that we want fair rents and to be free from being tied to having beer from the one supplier."
He said the MPs told them they would talk to Enterprise and other pub companies on the landlords' behalf to see whether any changes could be made to help struggling licensees.
The meeting took place as the former landlady of another Enterprise pub told how a combination of high beer prices, rent and business rates forced her to hand back her lease.
Linda Cardwell, who ran The Hogshead, on Delves Road, Hackenthorpe, for six years, said: "Myself and my husband have been in the licensing trade for 20 years, working for Bass Taverns then Enterprise Inns.
"When Enterprise took over, they absolutely crippled us. My husband had already taken an outside job, the pub couldn't pay two wages. They were charging £1,000 a week rent, rates from the council were also high and we had to buy beer and stock from Enterprise at top prices.
"I was working the bar everyday, all day, and cleaning as well, without pay, having to rob Peter to pay Paul for most of the bills, not sleeping, wondering whether to pay the rent or get stock to sell. It was a complete nightmare."
Enterprise says it charges more than the wholesale beer price because it subsidises rents and provides services to landlords. It provides assistance to licensees who ask for help with costs, subject to a check of their accounts.
The company added it does all it can to keep sites open, having closed and sold just eight of its sites in the region during 2008/9, while only one of 446 pubs it owns is not currently trading.
n Landlords campaigning for a cut in beer prices are meeting at the Railway Club, Farm Road, off Queens Road, from 6pm on Tuesday April 14. All licensees are invited.
What do you think? Add your comment below.Buy The Star - Monday to Saturday - for local news, sport, features and ads. To subscribe CLICK HEREREAD MOREMain news indexYour lettersFeaturesSouth Yorkshire's environmental newsKids ZoneMore business newsMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsLatest sport
