Beloved pub dating back to 1800s is forced to close its doors forever as bosses warn ‘we won’t be the last’

A BELOVED pub dating back to the 1800s will be closing its doors after a lengthy financial battle.

Its owners warned that they “won’t be the last” if more isn’t done to save local businesses.

The Caledonia in Liverpool is a popular pub known for its vegan menu and live music. 

Over the years, the eatery has become a community hub where students and small musicians have launched their music careers.

It has served punters since the 1800s and was named after one of the first three ships commissioned by a local shipbuilder named Cunard. 

However, like many businesses, it has been rocked by financial struggles in recent years. 

After a long battle to keep The Caledonia open, its pub licensee Laura King was forced to shut the bar’s doors permanently.

Laura said: “I have made the incredibly difficult decision to close The Caledonia permanently. I have fought hard since the pandemic and particularly over the last 12 months to keep the venue going.

“Despite incredible support and help, and with a huge amount of work having begun to restructure and build great new connections and events, it has become clear that in the current economic climate this current challenge is just one too far for me to fight through.”

The news comes just a month after the pub was served a warrant over unpaid electricity bills. 

Laura was forced to close the pub while she worked behind the scenes, but sadly the incident further compounded her business woes. 

Businesses across the country have been shutting down due to the hostile economic conditions on the high street. 

Laura has warned that The Caledonia “won’t be the last” pub to close down, if more isn’t done to save our high streets. 

Even luxury businesses like the Covent Garden restaurant La Goccia were forced to close due to economic pressures. 

The restaurant blamed Brexit for its closure, claiming that they were unable to hire people with the “right experience and skills”. 

Shopping centres including the historic Connswater shopping centre have also closed their doors. 

Connswater was the first shopping centre to open in Northern Ireland and had served customers since 1983. 

Mourning the closure of the shopping centre, one shopper said that it was an “end of an era”.

More than 400 pubs closed in 2024 – as number of UK boozers reaches all-time low

MORE than 400 pubs called last orders last year as the total number of boozers reached an all-time low.

Some 412 in England and Wales — around 34 a month — shut and were demolished or converted into homes, offices and nurseries.

That was a rise of 6.7 per cent compared to the previous year and the sharpest fall in numbers since 2021, when 444 pubs closed their doors.

A total of 2,074 pubs have gone in the past five years, analysis by the commercial real estate experts Altus Group found.

The overall number of boozers in England and Wales, including those vacant and offered to let, fell to a low of 38,989 according to Valuation Office Agency statistics.

Four years ago, the hospitality sector was hit by Covid lockdowns and soaring energy prices.

In 2024, rising costs and cautious spending also hit the sector.

The British Beer and Pub Association reckons pubs face an additional £71 million bill from April when employer National Insurance Contributions rise to 15 per cent.