Birmingham Hare & Hounds venue shuts down amid coronavirus crisis

Iconic Birmingham pub Hare & Hounds has announced it will close its doors in a bid to curb the potential spread of coronavirus.

Following government advice about large gatherings and news that pubs and cafes could soon be asked to close across the UK, the Kings Heath venue will cease trading as it weathers the COVID-19 crisis and its impact of life in the country.

It is not known if the independent establishment has a plan to see through these difficult times, with staff uncertain but hopeful they will return.

In a statement shared on social media, management at Hare & Hounds wrote:

“In light of the government’s latest advice to avoid non-essential gatherings, and in the interest of public safety, we have made the difficult decision to close our pub and venues. As of today, the Hare & Hounds will cease trading until further notice. We will assess and update this position on a regular basis, being as transparent as possible with the information being provided by the government and local authorities.

“Coronavirus is having an unprecedented, rapidly escalating impact on our business, but also on all our peers in the night time industry: bars, pubs, music venues, clubs, art spaces, cultural/heritage sites and more, along with all the staff and suppliers that rely on these industries for their livelihoods.”

Management admitted they were fearful of the weeks and months to come as businesses in the hospitality industry suffer a huge blow in trade and sales.

“Our focus turns now to protecting the future of our venue, to ensure everyone has something special to come back to. Please appreciate that all businesses affected, such as ours, have been forced into financial insecurity. With this in mind, we urge you to think about how you can support, not just our own business, but others too. We are making a conscious effort to reschedule all our affected shows to both avoid refunds and provide something more positive to look towards in the later months of the year.

“As ever, we hugely appreciate your support and understanding in these difficult times. It is now more than ever that we notice our brilliant community, both locally in Kings Heath and Birmingham, and across the globe, are pulling together to support those most vulnerable. Please continue to isolate from people if you are able to, help those in need safely if you can, and stay safe yourselves. We’ll see you on the other side.”

The public house has cancelled most of their upcoming events but asked patrons to check their website for updates.

Cancelled performances that were due to be held at the venue include shows by actor and DJ Craig Charles, DieDasDer’s Easter Clatter-Day, Thee Hypnotics, Callaghan, Romeo Stodart, Pout and the Cigarette Social Club.

Over 20 other shows have been postponed until further notice. It is not as yet known when business at Hare & Hounds will resume as normal.