Covid-19: Fenton brewery and micropub founder calls time

Neville Smith, pictured in the RAN Ales bar, said it had been "hard" in the last six months

The owner of a brewery and micropub said a drop in trade prompted by coronavirus had forced him to close.

Neville Smith founded RAN Ales in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, in 2014, taking a barrel of his first brew for friends to try at his birthday party.

But he said it was no longer viable as many people were afraid to go out.

The firm, which has supplied pubs in Staffordshire and Cheshire and has a bar in Ormonde Street, will be dissolved next week.

Mr Smith, 59, who launched the brewery after doing a brewing course, said others had approached him for ales, but income was now "almost zero".

He said: "The problem you've got is we've got six tables in the bar... if you get a couple that come in, that'll take up a table for six then, so you could end up with, like, 12 people.

"As far as the brewery side of it goes... if they're [pubs are] not getting enough people in, the beer will go off after four days so they end up chucking it down the drain."

• SOCIAL DISTANCING: What are the rules now?

• SUPPORT BUBBLES: What are they and who can be in yours?

• FACE MASKS: When do I need to wear one?

• SCHOOLS: What will happen if children catch coronavirus?

• TESTING: What tests are available?

The micro-brewery owner, who had a £100,000 turnover last year, said it was "no good... keep taking out loans".

Mr Smith said: "If you're not paying your bills, if you've still got big overheads. If you're not covering them, the money's just going down and down.

"We've enjoyed it, so it's time to knock it on the head, I think."