A LANDLORD has announced the closure of one of his venues to refocus his efforts on his other pub sites.

Mike Hales announced on Facebook earlier this week that he was having to pull the plug on the Butler’s Arms in Blackburn.

He also runs The Railway in Bromley Cross and Tal Y Cafn in North Wales.

Now, the 46-year-old has laid bare the challenges he faced in keeping the popular business open but has now set his sights on his other venues.

He said: “I have been overwhelmed by the emails and messages but it is about the industry and it is not going to be right for a few years after what we have had with Covid.

“We did not employ staff from overseas so you cannot blame Brexit for the staff levels.

“The Butler’s Arms was a ‘destination’ pub so it meant that workers were having to travel to us to work whereas some of our other pubs have lots of staff in the community.

“The pub industry is knackered and it is going to take time to recover.

“I am now re-focusing my efforts on the other pubs in Bolton and North Wales.”

Mr Hales, who had been in charge of the Butler’s Arms for five years, revealed other reasons why he had to close.

He said: “One of the biggest factors was that we could not get a chef and had to stop serving food.

“Our former chef was on a decent salary but they left as they wanted to move closer to home so it was amicable.

“But with wages and gas and electric costs it was hard.

“We had been advertising for eight members of staff including a manager and the chef but we could not fill those posts.

“It has been a worse time than in the middle of the pandemic.

“We were having people not turning up for interviews and the people we were getting were a mixed bag.

“The biggest catalyst was that I am not looking after myself.”

He added that he has not had issues with The Railway.

“We have not been struggling for staff with the Railway as it is part of the community and local people worked there whereas at the Butler’s Arms it was a destination pub and people were having to travel to get there.”

People have reacted on social media to the news of the closure.

Craig Pottage said: “It is so sad. Such a lovely pub and the food was great.”

Mark Hudson said: “Covid has a lot to answer for business closing down all the time because of this! It’s an absolute joke.”

Mitzi Dean said: “Sad about this! One of our favourites.”