New Mills publican urges people to shop local and spend local

Shellie Hagan from The Pride of the Peaks wrote a Facebook post earlier this month setting out how difficult it is to keep a pub running in the current climate.

“In two years so much has changed and yet I’m still opening up with a smile on my face ready to welcome people but it’s such a difficult trade to be in at the moment," Shellie added, saying she believes people don’t understand the difficulties the industry has faced recently.

Shellie is also the cook and the cleaner at the New Mills pub, meaning she often works more than 80 hours a week.

She said: “I know this is a lifestyle choice not a job but so much happens behind the scenes, which is done by every pub and restaurant, just to stay afloat. I think people need to understand the level of commitment and challenges we face day in day out.”

She says the habits of customers have changed and many started buying alcohol from the supermarket during the first lockdown and some now do not want to return to a pub setting.

"My days are so unpredictable now,” she said.

“Some days I have staff waiting for customers to turn up, other days I can’t serve people quick enough.

"If you would have told my three years ago I would be shut every Wednesday I wouldn’t have believed you but it’s the sad truth. There’s so few people about in New Mills it actually costs me money to open on a Wednesday now.”

The menu at the Pride of the Peaks has always been one of the pub’s strong points and Shellie says if she didn’t offer food, she would have had to close her doors for good a long time ago.

She said: “Now more than ever hospitality needs you. Not just here but across New Mills and the High Peak.

"We need people to shop local, stay local and spend local.

“Thank you to our wonderful regulars but to those we haven’t seen for a while or those who may never have popped in, come say hello and help keep pubs open and employing people in your community.”

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