This large and popular Northampton pub won't be reopening after the second coronavirus lockdown...for now

While pubs across the country are allowed to reopen after the second coronavirus lockdown on Wednesday (December 2), one in Northampton is choosing not to.

The Old White Hart will be staying closed as the owners do not believe it would be worth it while households are not allowed to mix indoors and customers have to have a 'substantial meal'.

Plus the emotional strain of months of navigating the ever-changing restrictions and policing punters left the team dreading coming back to work, according to co-owner Suzy Keeping.

So the Far Cotton local will remain shut until further notice, at least until next year but Suzy said it will all depend on what the rules are.

"We were really busy before the lockdown, some weeks taking more than before Covid, but I just don't think it's worth the aggro to reopen," she told the Chronicle & Echo.

"I'm still a business owner so if we were making money or having a good time then I would reopen but we were getting neither of them so I thought, 'what's the point?'"

Suzy said she and her team worked non-stop since the first lockdown ended in June to safely serve as many people as possible and stick to the regulations.

But they still barely managed to turn a profit with a drop in demand, spaced out seating, table service-only, masks and more affecting trade.

On top of all that, workers still had to put up with the minority of customers who refused to obey the rules and took it out on them.

So the co-owner decided enough was enough after speaking to regulars and when it was announced that Northamptonshire would be in tier two.

"To be honest, any publican will say the last few months have been so draining emotionally - you have to think about so many things at the same time like masks, households, table service.

"And I just think people haven't quite realised again what the rules are going to be as I've still got people trying to book tables of six or bookings of 18 for Christmas.

"Then I also have the staff saying they don't want to come back so I thought it's my business, I don't really want to go back either.

"We gave it our all last time and with the restrictions being even harder and financially we didn't make any more or less money being open than shut but we had a high turnover and even higher overheads.

"So I've decided to give people some time off - the staff's wages are covered by furlough and we'll just see what happens."

Another worry for The Old White Hart is that if Northamptonshire is put into tier three, where pubs have to close, then all their stock would go to waste.

Suzy insisted the pub will be back potentially once different households can mix again indoors but added they are not in any rush as they look forward to a relatively stress-free Christmas.

They will also be keeping busy supporting the Far Cotton community through volunteering and providing food to vulnerable families they helped during the free school meals controversy.

Suzy said: "We just don't want people to get ill from us, we want people to be safe so if this is the best way of doing that then that's fine.

"But we're staying positive and looking forward to a nice break where the team don't have to worry too much about money, spent time with their families and come back next year refreshed."