York: Pub closed as monthly energy bill almost trebles

Soaring energy bills have forced The Gillygate in York to close its landlord Brian Furey said

A city centre pub in York has had to close after spiralling energy costs almost trebled its monthly bill.

Brian Furey, who ran The Gillygate for eight years, said payments had risen from £900 a month to £2,500.

It comes as some of the country's breweries called for immediate government intervention on high energy bills this winter.

Mr Furey said: "It's almost laughable, you get your bill and look at it and go 'we can't do that'."

Mr Furey said several different options to keep the pub open had been looked at but none had been viable

Mr Furey took over The Gillygate in 2014 and gave the pub, which dates back to 1811, a full makeover.

He said the management team had discussed trying to keep the pub open through the autumn and had considered what financial boost any Christmas trade might bring.

Mr Furey said he had also contemplated taking out a loan to keep the pub open, but said his profits would not have covered the debt.

Mr Furey said borrowing money had not been an option as profits would not have covered the cost of the loan

"We said 'do we borrow money to keep us going and hope for a good trade?'.

"But we said no, if we borrow money we're gonna end up in debt with that loan and probably not trade sufficiently to get the profit to pay our costs," he said.

The BBC has contacted Star Pubs, which owns The Gillygate, for a comment.

On Tuesday the pub and brewery owners from six companies - JW Lees, Carlsberg Marston's, Admiral Taverns, Drake & Morgan, Greene King and St Austell Brewery - called for urgent government intervention, including a support package and a cap on the price of energy for businesses.

Earlier this year it was revealed the number of pubs in England and Wales had reached its lowest level on record.