‘We’re losing everything good’ cry punters as pub chain with 300 locations abruptly shuts branch doors after 17 years

A POPULAR pub has pulled the shutters down for the last time leaving customers devastated.

The Aviator pub in Sheppey made the shock announcement on New Year's Day that it would not be reopening.

The pub that is run by Sheperd Neame broke the news to customers in a Facebook post on January 1, saying how it had become "impossible to continue".

It read: "We are now closed permanently.

"Thank you for your custom. Unfortunately, the ever-increasing utilities have made things impossible to continue.

"We’ve had some great times at The Aviator but all good things come to an end."

Fans of the boozer rushed to the comments to express their sadness at the news.

One said: "It's always sad to read that the island is losing another fantastic venue, not due to commitment the owners put into it but the extortionate overheads."

Another added: "Sad, nice pub, nice food and nice people."

A third commented: "Sad times. Some of the best meals we’ve had here. The island loses everything good it has."

The pub which is located on Queensborough Road, Minster, Sheppey was described as a "landmark" by one customer.

The pub was formerly known as the Lady Hamilton and re-opened as The Aviator in 2007. It was also a fully licensed wedding venue.

Jonathon Swaine, managing director, pubs, Shepherd Neame, said: "We are constantly evaluating our property portfolio to ensure that we target our resources effectively.

"As part of that ongoing process, we have decided to sell The Aviator as it no longer fits our business needs.

"The pub, which is currently closed, is being sold as a licensed premises."

Shepherd Neame is Britain's oldest brewer with more than 300 pubs throughout London and the South East.

In December another pub belonging to the chain closed its doors right before Christmas.

The Duke of Edinburgh pub in Barming also announced on Facebook it would be shutting and offered refunds to customers for its New Year's Eve party.

It is a tough time for the hospitality sector and many venues are struggling to keep their heads above water.

Greene King also pulled the shutters down on one of its locations at the end of last year.

The pub chain, which has more than 1,600 branches across the country, shut down The Beacon in Basingstoke in early November.

At the time, a spokesperson for the chain confirmed that The Manor House in Portsmouth would also close, but did not reveal when.

Pub chain Wetherspoons has closed 34 pubs in the last 18 months and also put 27 more up for sale.

Meanwhile, Stonegate, the group which runs Yate's and Slug and Lettuce pubs, sparked fury by hiking the price of drinks from 5pm to 7pm.

The "dynamic pricing" strategy has seen some punters charged £7.60 instead of £7.05 at peak times.

Many high street retailers also left the high street in 2023.

Cath Kidston, Paperchase, M&Co and popular discounter Wilko have all crashed into administration this year.

However, Wilko has since made a shock return to the high street with branches opening up in Plymouth, Exeter and Luton.

Paperchase has also reopened inside 250 Tesco supermarkets.