A PUB LANDLORD hit particularly hard by coronavirus restrictions has responded by turning his boozer into a fruit and vegetable store in less than a week.

Robert Steed, who runs The Measure Inn on Newport Road in Caldicot and The Lamb on Bridge Street in Newport and employs 12 staff, says he hopes to “do something positive for the community” in the Monmouthshire town.

Newport Road – the main high street in Caldicot – recently lost its popular Waitrose store adding to a host of closures in recent years which has left the town looking desolate.

“Last week when they announced the new rules I just wanted to call it a day,” said Mr Steed, referring to the ban on alcohol in Wales and the 6pm curfew – which will be reviewed on December 17.

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“If feels totally unfair. I’ve done everything I can to keep people safe and we’ve not had any calls from track and trace at all about cases in the pub. It’s a huge blow for us.

“We’re spending so much money getting back up and running after being closed, we start to have some hope again, and they close us again. It’s like a constant cycle and it’s becoming unfeasible.

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“If we’re doing this [on and off restrictions] until March, which is what I’m hearing, then I do worry for the future for many in this industry.”

Mr Steed published a post on social media shortly after the restrictions were announced informing punters he was considering handing back the keys to his pubs.

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But less than a week later, he has opened a vegetable “market” on the premises and is also selling sweets and fruit.

“We aren’t going to do meat because there is a good butcher already in the village, and it’s about supporting our community now,” he said.

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“I decided I had to do something because there is no way we’ll be able to open before Christmas, even if they tell us we can. I didn’t want to give up, I want to keep my staff in jobs and get through this.

“We’ll be doing it right up until Christmas and see how we get on and whether there’s an appetite for it in the town, but I expect there will be because there’s almost nothing left here if people want to shop in Caldicot.”

The pub will be serving groceries and sweets from 10am until 4pm every day, and will be doing deliveries from 4pm to 8pm.

Other stores can join Mr Steed at his pub until at least Christmas for a small fee.