THE owner of a swanky Powys bar has this week transformed his premises into a café during the day just to counteract abrasive Covid-19 restrictions.

Phil Hulmes, who runs Llandrindod Wells’ trendy Temple Bar, admits he is barely managing to keep his head above water after reopening a few months ago.

Phil has lifted the lid on the “exhausting” life of working in the hospitality sector in Mid Wales during the ongoing pandemic.

While the majority of pub landlords and punters in Powys may be rejoicing at the fact that bars and restaurants are back in business, following the reopening of the sector outside was announced at the end of April, the Radnorshire publican has painted a gloomier picture where owners are constantly fatigued, plagued by making sure rowdy customers stick to social distancing rules and haunted by the very real possibility of being shut down again.

Phil admits he is constantly wrestling with the idea of whether to pack it all in or persevere.

“It has been a huge challenge since re-opening; recruiting staff is difficult, with very little response to ads, the work itself is exhausting as table service is very labour-intensive,” says Phil, who claims to be doing 10,000 steps (the daily recommended amount per day) every three hours.

“We are constantly having to manage people who flout or forget the regulations around masks, table-only service, social distancing etc and I am only just keeping my head above water financially, due to increased overheads married to reduced trading figures.”

If it hadn’t been for the lifelines offered by government and other financial support, Phil believes he and countless other pubs, restaurants and cafes would have sold up by now.

“As well as grant support, business rates relief and a reduction in VAT, I have a sympathetic landlord,” added Phil.

“Without these lifelines, I would have definitely gone under before now. To be honest, I am beginning to think that continuing in this manner isn't viable. But I, like many others I'm sure, have to keep pushing on because the only alternative is to close for good and be left with a worthless business and considerable debt accumulated over the past 15 months.

“It isn’t easy, it isn’t fun and it certainly isn’t sustainable in its current form.”

And, in a bid to drum up extra business, Phil has this week transformed the Temple Bar into a coffee shop during the day.

He added: “I am opening as a coffee shop in the daytime from this Monday, to complement our evening bar and restaurant.

“The coffee shop idea came about as a direct result of the impact of Covid restrictions. I decided I needed to spread the risk as a result of lower footfall after the introduction of the restrictive regulations.”

And while people are currently enjoying being allowed back in the pubs and socialising with friends, data gathered last week reveals the extent of the plight facing hospitality owners. Limits on social contact are keeping down spending in Powys pubs, new figures suggest, despite the reopening of the hospitality sector to more customers in recent weeks.

Banking firm Revolut analysed the data of its 8,000 customers in Powys between May 17 – when indoor hospitality resumed – and June 13. The data revealed that Powys punters spent 40 per cent less in pubs over this period than they did in February 2020, before the pandemic struck.