The Plough and Harrow public house in Littleport has announced it will close its doors on Wednesday, October 8, after a year of trade. The current landlord cited rising costs, declining trade, and repeated no-shows as key factors behind the decision, though there is hope that new management can be found to keep the village pub open.
In a heartfelt message shared on October 6, the landlord said that despite every effort to keep the business afloat, “trade has become difficult over a number of weeks but has got worse,” adding that as a single parent reliant on staff, it had become impossible to reduce overheads enough to continue.
The closure follows several weeks of financial strain. In mid-September, the team revealed that over 40 diners failed to honour bookings on a single evening, forcing them to close the restaurant side of the business due to heavy losses and food waste. “We bought in food for and prepared for 70 covers and ended up with huge wastage and huge losses because of it,” the post explained.
Despite these setbacks, the pub marked its one-year anniversary on September 21 with a message of gratitude to the local community. Staff celebrated “an amazing journey” and thanked customers for their support, even as they acknowledged the challenges ahead.
The landlord expressed appreciation to all who had visited over the past year, writing, “We really did try hard! Thank you!” They also encouraged anyone interested in taking over the premises or leasing the kitchen space to get in touch, leaving open the possibility that the Plough and Harrow could continue under new ownership.
The pub’s final day of trading will be Wednesday, October 8.
