Country pub famed for its Sunday roast forced to close after sky-high bills

03 October 2023 , 13:43

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This is the Frozen Mop put in Cheshire (Image: Cheshire Pub Co)

A historic pub loved by locals for its Sunday roast is suddenly shuttering following sky-high gas and electric bills.

Managers for The Frozen Mop is set in a 19th-century barn building in rural Mobberley, Cheshire, have said bills costing "£10k a month" is why they are being forced to shut. Yesterday, it closed its doors to customers, a move that the bosses say is temporary.

They issued a full statement on their social media accounts explaining the situation. They explained proposals to convert some of the space at the pub into hotel rooms to "make better use of the property". They attributed increasing overheads as they head into the winter as the reason for deciding to temporarily close.

The full statement from Cheshire Pub Co read: "Temporary closure of The Frozen Mop, effective today Monday 2nd October. Unfortunately due to overheads, especially electric and gas costs, circa 10k per month, we can't continue to trade the site in its current format and as we head into winter, fuel bills will increase substantially."

"We have put proposals forward to the landlord to make better use of the property and to convert the upstairs to hotel letting accommodation, which we believe the site needs to continue. So there is an element of hope that we can trade again at some point in the future."

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The statement ended by adding: "Thank you for support and being a part of our community and for making The Frozen Mop a special place for all. We will keep everyone posted and we hope to see you at the Mop or at one of our other venues in the not-too-distant future."

The statement has been greeted with a huge outpouring from "gutted" loyal customers and fans of the historic pub. Writing on Facebook, one wrote said: "Such terrible news as another good British pub clings on. Fingers crossed for the future."

Another added: "So so sorry to hear this, we've been coming to the Mop for years and years as a family, such a lovely place with great people and great food. I truly hope you're able to reopen and put this debacle behind you."

A third said: "Very sad best roast dinners and staff." A fourth said: "Terribly sad to hear this. A wonderful pub with a relaxing atmosphere. The food is always exemplary."

The pub, located on Faulkners Lane in Mobberley, near the historic market town of Knutsford in Cheshire, is described as a "grand Cheshire treasure located in the lush countryside village of Mobberley." on the Cheshire Pub Co's website.

Simon Kalton of Cheshire Pub Co confirmed to the Manchester Evening News that while the Frozen Mop is temporarily closed, it's business as usual for the group's other pubs. He expressed hope to reopen the Frozen Mop "in the new year", but emphasised the need for more government support for the hospitality industry.

Simon stated: "We are hoping to reopen the Mop in the new year if we can get some of our plans across the line. Trading at all pubs is good and we are very pleased how the new and existing sites are performing. We had to take the decision to close the Mop due to cost of utilities and the sheer size of the place to power and heat became quite daunting with current rates as we faced winter."

"All pubs are Independent limited companies, which allows us to stick to our growth plan, including an exciting new opening in spring. We face a very challenging time in terms of overheads and cost of goods but we do our best to maintain prices as not to impact the customer who themselves are under pressure."

He further added: "The Government needs to provide something for the industry to support with rising overheads otherwise they will lose many community institutions across the country."

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