Kenneth calls time - squeezed out by high rent and ban

Jan 4 2008 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A POPULAR pub has been forced to close its doors because of rising costs.

Licensee Kenneth Scarfe has called time on his 17-year stint at The Grove Inn in Dalton.

He said: “Closing the doors for the last time felt terrible.”

The Grove, at Long Lane, ceased trading on December 30 because of rising costs and lost custom as a result of the smoking ban.

Kenneth said: “It was a very popular pub, but all my costs went up – rent, beer, gas, water.”

He was paying £1,000 a week in rent – up from £600 five years ago.

Kenneth was also forking out £4,000 a week for beer, £400 in business rates and £300 for Sky.

The 48-year-old was also hit by the smoking ban, which came into force on July 1.

He said: “It wasn’t so bad in the summer but when winter came people didn’t want to stand outside.”

Enterprise, which owns The Grove, offered to build a smoking shelter.

Kenneth said: “They referred me to a company who quoted me £6,000. The shelter would have included lights and heaters, but they would have been pinched.”

Kenneth believes The Grove began going downhill when Enterprise took over from Bass five years ago.

He said: “That’s when the rot set in. My rent went up and up because I was doing well.”

Kenneth, who lives above the pub with his wife Sandra and 23-year-old son Jason, will move out by January 10.

He said: “Luckily I kept my house in Moldgreen so we won’t be homeless.”

Kenneth is looking for a new job. He said: “I don’t know what I will do. I will be 49 this month so it will be quite hard for me to find work.

“I’ve applied for one or two warehouse jobs. I don’t want to stop in the pub trade, I’ve been hurt by it.”

And Kenneth believes more neighbourhood pubs will go to the wall.

He said: “You’re going to see a lot of local pubs disappearing because people can’t afford to run them.

“In 15 or 20 years’ time there will only be town centre pubs left.”

Keith Blackburn, who was a regular at The Grove for 40 years, was sad to see it close.

He said: “It’s a shame. It’s terrible that Kenny will have to look for a new job at his age.”

Keith, who lives round the corner at Dalton Grove, used to drink in the pub four times a week.

He said: “It was a fantastic place, the atmosphere was so friendly, the beer was good and Kenny always kept the riff-raff out. It was the sort of place you could take your wife.”

Keith, who now drinks in The Jolly Sailor at Broad Lane, agrees the ban was bad for The Grove Inn.

He said: “Half the trade went after the ban. I’ve caught a cold myself from going outside to smoke.”

The Grove Inn was opened by the Mayor of Huddersfield, Alderman R Browne, in December 1958.