Cheltenham micropub reopens after 15 months

Paul Cook, the owner of The Angry Parrot micro-pub, with his partner Jo Hobbs

The owner of a micropub that traded for just 10 days before being shut down by the pandemic said he had no choice but to "try or die" reopening his business.

The Angry Parrot, on James Street in Cheltenham, has been closed for 15 months following its launch in 2020.

Owner Paul Cook said the lockdown easing delay was really "frustrating".

He said he had hoped to wait until all restrictions had been lifted to reopen for customers but was not in a financial position to wait any longer.

The Angry Parrot was set up in part with funds from the owner's late father

For now it will operate with table service to abide by current Covid-19 restrictions

"It's die or try really.

"I think we saw the bank balance going down and down, we can't afford to get another bounce-back loan so we decided to give it a go and see what happens," said Mr Cook.

He and his partner Jo Hobbs have had to adapt the micropub to be a Covid-secure environment, changing its business concept to work with the new rules.

"We've opened up now to do table service which is not what a micropub is, the concept is about small, people chatting, no music, local produce", he added.

The company only sells beers within a 50 mile radius of Cheltenham.

The Angry Parrot had been in the planning for two years before opening last March and was a tribute to Mr Cook's late father who left them the start-up money.