‘I run Britain’s finest beer backyard – the smoking ban will break me’

The landlord of an award-winning beer garden has said the Government’s new smoking laws could destroy his business.

The PM confirmed Labour is considering a smoking ban that will make fagging and vaping illegal in certain public areas. Outdoor restaurants, outside sports venues, hospitals, nightclubs and certain small parks, will all become smoke and vape free, if the wider ban goes through.

Pub gardens will also become smoke free — an upsetting prospect for those who love a pint and a fag, and for those whose business revolves around the coupling.

READ MORE: Proposed smoking ban could mean ‘extinction’ for pubs – and ‘booze could be next’

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One such person who is not happy about the idea is Simon Colquuhon, owner of The Gaggle of Geese in Buckland Newton, Dorchester. The mega pub, which includes a clamping and camping site, as well as mini golf, a double decker bus and a kids play area, was awarded the best pub garden in 2023 by The Best British Awards.

Colquuhon, 47, from Dorset, believes anything that deters punters from pubs is an issue. He said: “Our kids’ playing area is a non smoking, non-vaping area anyways, but I’m not sure this has been thought through. Anything that stops people coming to our pubs, is a problem.”

He went on to say that the smoking ban has impacted pubs greatly, adding: “It’s a tough time for pubs at the moment and inflation last year meant everything shot up. Our running costs went up by 40%, last year.”

He added that the smoking ban under consideration could be another thing that affects UK pubs and that he was “fortunate” that The Gaggle of Geese was not just a pub. The pub’s campsite can hold up to 90 people but still leaves plenty of room for people who want a pint in the pub garden.

He said: “It’s a really unique pub and I don’t know any other pubs that have a double decker pub. It’s family friendly and it’s not a confined area. We have a lot of tourists come down that haven’t seen goats at a pub before or even a double decker bus.”

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