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Jon Dean, the owner of The Alma Tavern in Worcester, has announced he will close his pub after seven years due to rising costs and a decrease in customer spending. With 14 employees laid off, Dean attributes the closure to high taxation, energy prices, and economic pressures like the cost-of-living crisis. He urges the government to implement further tax cuts for the hospitality sector or risk more closures, noting that his pub's annual turnover of around £800,000 barely covers expenses after taxes, wages, and bills are paid.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Jon Dean, who ran The Alma Tavern pub in Worcester for seven years, recently closed down the venue due to rising costs and a decline in customer drinking habits. He has urged the government to consider new tax cuts for hospitality venues or face more pubs going under. Despite employing 14 people, he had to let everyone go as there is "no light at the end of the tunnel." The Treasury spokesperson noted that pubs were already benefiting from a 20% cut in business rates but Dean argues this isn't enough given the cost-of-living crisis and the war in Iran. He now has to find a new home after opting to hand the pub back to the brewery, Star Pubs.
Written for “Pub Closures Crisis” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but 1 quote(s) could not be found in the article and the other 1 are attributed speech rather than the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 61982: no verified evidence · logged 2026-10-07
- Published
A publican has revealed his anguish at having to close down, saying he has been "crippled" by rising costs and a decline in customer drinking habits.
Jon Dean, who ran The Alma Tavern in Worcester for the last seven years before closing its doors this week, has urged the government to consider new tax cuts for hospitality venues or face more pubs going under.
asserted
pubs → publish → venues
He said: "We employed 14 or 15 people here but we've had to let everyone go.
asserted
everyone → say → people
It's a bitter pill to swallow.
asserted
It → swallow → ?
A spokesperson for the Treasury said pubs "were already benefitting from a 20% cut in business rates", with Prime Minister Andy Burnham previously calling it "the first step" to help the industry.
asserted
Burnham → say → industry
Dean, who also lives above the pub, is having to find a new home after opting to hand the business back to the brewery, Star Pubs.
asserted
who → live → brewery
"We've been trying to keep it going but there's no light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
asserted
he → try → tunnel
"Hospitality has taken a battering.
asserted
Hospitality → take → battering
We've had the utility crisis, the cost of living crisis [and] now the war in Iran.
asserted
We → have → Iran
"All of that has had an impact on prices, but when you add in employer's national insurance contributions, rocketing minimum wage, rocketing VAT, business rates, all of that pressure has crippled us," he said.
asserted
he → have → us
Dean told the BBC that customers were not spending as much, something he put down to the cost of living pressures.
asserted
he → tell → pressures
"People used to come in four or five times a week and they'd have four or five pints, but those days are gone," he said.
"Now we'd maybe see them once or twice a week and they might only have a drink or two - people just haven't got the money.
uncertain
people → use → money
"I've tried everything to keep the pub going, but it's like flogging a dead horse.
asserted
it → try → horse
"A place like this turns over maybe £800,000 a year, but once you've paid out your taxes, your energy bills, your wages, it's pretty much all gone.
asserted
it → turn → taxes
"Taxation and the cost of everything is just far too high," he added.
asserted
he → add → everything
Calls for help in Budget
In July, the government cut business rates for pubs.
asserted
government → cut → pubs
But last month, more than 800 businesses, including top UK chefs, wrote an open letter to the PM, saying without a VAT reduction there would be more pub and restaurant closures.
asserted
businesses → include → reduction
Allen Simpson, chief executive of the trade body UKHospitality, said the tax burden for the sector had "grown disproportionately" in recent years.
"We have already seen promising signs from the new government in its approach to hospitality - I hope this (forthcoming) Budget will see further backing for the entire hospitality sector," he added.
asserted
he → say → sector
A spokesperson for the Treasury said: "The chancellor has prioritised support for the hospitality industry in his first week in the job when he cut business rates by 20% for pubs, social clubs and live music venues, saving thousands of [pubs] over £1,000 a year.
"
asserted
he → say → 1,000
This is on top of providing a tax break on poured pints and capping corporation tax."
asserted
This → provide → tax
A spokesperson for Star Pubs said: "While Star Pubs owns The Alma Tavern, it is leased to an independent operator who runs it as their own business and has taken the decision to close the pub."
asserted
who → say → pub
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