Top Staffordshire country pub to shut as costs get too great
A country pub is shutting for good later this month - due to rising costs. The Red Lion, in Bradley, near Stafford, will open for the final time on Monday, September 23.
The Smithy Lane venue dates back to the 17th century. It was back in 2015 when The Lewis Partnership snapped up The Red Lion to join its stable of four other venues.
It has previously won awards for serving the best afternoon tea in Staffordshire.
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In a social media message to customers, the venue stated: "It is with great sadness that we announce that from Monday 23 September The Red Lion will be closing its doors. Over the last few years we have struggled to secure a permanent and stable kitchen team and have heavily relied on agency staff to keep the pub open. Unfortunately this has come at a huge financial cost which is not sustainable moving forward and we have had to take the tough decision to call it a day.
"This is by no means a decision we have taken lightly. We are truly sorry that it has come to this. We would like to thank our incredible team for all their hard work and our loyal customers who’ve supported us since we bought the pub in 2015. If you have a booking with us after our closure, our team will be in touch in due course."
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