Iconic bar in Northampton town centre closes its doors for good – with the landlady saying, 'you can’t pay the bills with thin air'

The King Billy Rock Bar, located on Commercial Street, has shut down, and landlady Rachel Nash, who has been running the pub for two years, shared her damning reasons behind the closure.

She explained: “You can't pay bills with thin air. There’s no wiggle room, nothing. I’ve been talking with Star Pubs and Co since May. They suggested various things, which we did, but it hasn’t made any difference. I get it—everyone’s worried, skint, and struggling—but there comes a point when there’s nothing else you can do. The people who come in this pub know how much I love it and how hard I’ve tried, but there comes a point when you have to stop digging."

The 59-year-old says she had tried various measures to keep the pub afloat, including reducing the opening hours to weekends only, but says it was ‘impossible’ to cover the mounting bills.

She said: “It’s awful. Even closing four days doesn’t bring your rates down, your till payments down, or any of your bills, other than staff and a bit of electricity. It’s impossible. Electricity alone costs over £1,000 a month. We’re seen as a cash cow—they just assume you can pay whatever. And if they all charge similar, you haven’t got much of an option.”

The 59-year-old also touched on the challenges of attracting younger customers, saying: “My core customers are all about my age, and we’re all getting older. Younger people aren’t coming through, and whatever people say, the Billy still has a reputation as a bikers’ pub. A lot of people won’t look beyond that reputation. Those who do come in have the best night ever and say what a lovely pub it is and how it’s not what they were told it was.”

Reflecting on her time running the bar, she said: “I’ve had two brilliant, fun-filled years at the helm, met the best people, and made some good friends. I don’t regret any of it. I couldn’t have done any of it without my fabulous team—so to Bea, Lee, Lettie, Dee, Ems, Dreads, Chucky & Henry—thank you very much.”