Local village loses last remaining pub just before Christmas as devastating Budget impact blamed

"I just can't afford to keep this place on, and I know a lot of other landlords will find themselves in the same situation after the budget," Ms Kenny said.

She described the recent budget as the "final nail in the coffin" for her business, with escalating rent, bills and business rates making it impossible to carry on.

Mattishall, home to more than 2,500 residents, now faces the prospect of becoming one of Norfolk's largest villages without a local pub.

The financial burden facing Ms Kenny is staggering, with rent alone costing £4,000 monthly – or £48,000 per year. On top of that, she's dealing with soaring energy bills and staff costs that keep climbing.

Things are about to get even worse, with the pub's rateable value jumping by 60 per cent following changes announced alongside the budget. When the 40 per cent discount on business rates for hospitality ends in April, many pubs will see their tax bills rise by thousands of pounds annually.

The government has announced a £4.3billion support package over three years to help businesses hit by the revaluation. But for Ms Kenny, any assistance has arrived too late to save her livelihood.

Ms Kenny has been forced to let go of eight members of staff and now operates with just two employees plus herself. The pub's opening hours have also been slashed dramatically, running only from Thursday to Sunday each week.

"It's been absolute hell," she said. "Now, after the budget, I know I can't do it anymore."

She did raise prices earlier this year, but only by 5p per pint – she couldn't bring herself to add 20 or 30 pence more.

"I couldn't do that to my regulars," she explained.

Life upstairs isn't any easier, where Ms Kenny lives with her 86-year-old mother, who has been diagnosed with an illness, surrounded by buckets catching water from a leaking roof.

Critics have accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of "sentencing countless pubs to death" by hiking rates by thousands of pounds each year, with some labelling it "a budget for benefits street".

The British Beer and Pub Association paints an equally grim picture, estimating that 378 pubs have permanently shut their doors this year – that's more than one closing every single day, resulting in over 5,600 jobs lost.

Speaking to GB News, Emma McClarkin, the organisation's CEO, said publicans across the country are "petrified" of closing down or losing staff, as business costs continue to rise.

"The Labour Government came into the election with a five-point pledge to support pubs. They then had a very difficult Budget for us last year, which added in £650million," she told the People's Channel.

"But they promised us that was once in a generation and that the next Budget, the business rates would be reset for pubs for the long term. But we've seen actually out of this last budget, £550million added in.

"And as you say, it's left publicans petrified. They're really distressed about whether they can afford to cover these bills, keep their doors open, or even a roof above their head as it's many of their homes."

Experts warn many other towns and villages could soon find themselves in the same position as Mattishall, losing their local pubs for good.

TV star Jeremy Clarkson, who opened his own pub called The Farmer's Dog last year, banned over 400 Labour MPs from his establishment this week, amid the Budget fallout.

"It is a disgrace," the former Top Gear star proclaimed.

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