As closures continue across the county, could we be witnessing the end of the “traditional pub”?

High rents, rising energy prices and customers hit by the cost-of-living crisis have all been blamed for the industry’s struggles.

In one Kent village, all three traditional pubs have been put on the market this year.

But are they all doomed?

We’ve spoken to landlords across the county to get their take on what the future holds.

Former Shepherd Neame tenant and Deal resident, Ian Goodban, told KentOnline the pub industry “is shooting itself in the foot.”

Mr Goodban, who previously worked under Shepherd Neame for four years, is frustrated over soaring rent prices and the limitations breweries put on their landlords.

He says an example of this is the Saracens Head in Deal.

When the pub was put up for sale earlier this year, the outgoing tenants told KentOnline it was “impossible to make a profit.”

They said they had done “nothing but lose money” since February last year, blaming the cost-of-living crisis and a lack of community support.

Mr Goodban says pub like the Saracens Head are part of the social history of the community – but breweries like Shepherd Neame see them as “just an asset”.

“I spent my early years living in College Road just yards from the Sarrys, as it’s always been known locally,” he said.

“My grandparents and great grandparents used the pub, so it has been a part of my family history for generations..”

Mr Goodban was the tenant at The Deal Hoy, in Duke Street, between 2011-2015, which is owned by the Faversham-based business.

But due to the cost of rent, in 2016 the ex-Royal Navy man decided to go out on his own and open up the Freed Man micropub, in Dover Road, Deal.

“My rent in the last year at the pub was £26,500. At the micropub, it is a fifth of that,” he said.

“My pub doesn’t turn over as much as a big pub. But the profit margins are significantly better.

“My life is so much easier now.”

Mr Goodban believes his new business is more successful as he is not given any limitations in regards to stock.

“Shepherd Neame tell you what to buy and tell you at what price to sell it at,” he said.

“People are bored of drinking the same old beers at Shepherd Neame pubs.”

Elsewhere in the county, Andrew and Marluce Clark are making a success of their micropub in Dymchurch.

Meanwhile, the village’s three traditional pubs – The Ship Inn, The City Of London and Ocean Inn - have all been put up for sale this year.

Mr Clark says The Hidden Treasure, located in the centre of the village high street, is able to provide “something different” in the village.

“As an independent we have a lot more freedom than other pubs,” he said.

“Pubs closing at the moment is becoming a trend so it is definitely still a concern.

“But we like to think we provide something different to the community.”

However, some traditional pubs across the county are still thriving even under the current climate – but their location is a key factor.

Charles Smythe has been trading in Canterbury for 21 years and sympathises with businesses in quieter areas.

“We are fortunate that in Canterbury there is such a large pool of people here,” he said.

“The villages don’t have that in their advantage.”

“A lot of people who used to drink in pubs just can’t afford it at the moment...”

Mr Smythe runs the Old City Bar, The Dolphin, The Black Griffin and Seven Stars in the city centre.

He said: “The old style country pub where you have the old boys drinking their real ale just isn’t as popular anymore. Real ale is in decline by 20% in the last five years.

“A lot of people who used to drink in pubs just can’t afford it at the moment. I used to have customers come once or twice a week.

“Now you only see them every other week.”

So is the cost-of-living crisis the main factor in the difficulties facing so many pubs across Kent?

Mr Goodban believes breweries must take some of the blame.

“Breweries need to take a long hard look at how they treat their tenants,” he said.

Mr Goodban says while he was at The Deal Hoy, he was approached by Shepherd Neame to run The Saracens Head.

However, after hearing the rent costs brewery bosses were asking for, he says he “laughed in their faces”.

The Saracen’s Head is one of a number of pubs to be closed or put on the market by Shepherd Neame in recent months.

In February, the brewery announced the closure of The Globe Inn in Hythe.

Meanwhile, The Compasses Crundale Inn, which is based between Ashford and Canterbury, closed in January as the landlord called last orders.

However, Shepherd Neame bosses say they are doing all they can to preserve the future of their businesses.

Shepherd Neame’s director of tenanted pub operations, Greg Wallis, said: “We appreciate that current inflationary pressures are creating challenges for our licensees, with utility bills in particular now significantly higher than in previous years.

“We are working with them to offer every support possible to help them preserve the future of their businesses, as we did during the pandemic.

“We were the first pub company to waive 100% of licensee rent when lockdown came into effect, followed by reduced rent following reopening, totalling more than £4.8 million in financial support.

“We continue to work with our licensees to maximise growth potential at this time through investment and other projects.

“Shepherd Neame is privileged to own some of the most characterful, historic pubs in the country, which boast a loyal customer base and play an important role in the individual communities they serve.

“We are confident that these factors will stand our pubs in good stead as the cost of living crisis eases and the economy returns to growth.”