Owners announce pub's immediate closure with a 'heavy heart'

A family-run pub has announced its immediate closure "with a heavy heart."

Hightown Pub and Kitchen in Hightown will welcome its final customers tonight, Friday March 8, before for closing its doors for good. The pub's owners said they were forced to make the decision due to the worsening climate of the hospitality industry and the cost of living crisis.

Hightown Pub and Kitchen, which describes itself as a "family-run venue serving locally sourced fresh produce", has been nominated for several prestigious awards. Just last year, it was shortlisted in the 'Best Pub for Families' and 'Best Pub for Entertainment' categories in the 2023 Great British Pub Awards.

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The pub's owners announced the closure on Facebook, prompting an outpouring from customers.

The post said: "It’s with a heavy heart we send this message today. With the current climate of the hospitality industry worsening and the cost of living doing the same. We have made the difficult decision to close our doors after business this evening (Friday). We will not be open for business from Saturday 9th March.

"This therefore means that we can unfortunately no longer accommodate any of our future bookings, including this weekends for Saturday and Mothers day. We are making every effort to contact all those impacted via email, text or social media.

"We would like to thank the community for all their support in the last 3.5 years and for all the laughs, smiles and memories we’ve been able to enjoy and be a part of during our time here."

"We wish the community and the future pub owners all