From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Chantal Weller, 6 November 2023.

The Made Inn micropub at Coachworks in Ashford to shut for good.

A micropub has announced it will be calling last orders and closing its doors for good.

The Bottle Shop at Coachworks in Ashford will be saying goodbye on December 23 after launching at the venue in May 2022.

The Made Inn at Coachworks will call last orders on December 23.

In a statement, the founder of The Made Inn company, which ran the venue previously and had another micropub in the town for five years, confirmed “this is it”.

“The final goodbye to The Made Inn brand,” said Steve Sitton.

“Honestly, this is it, we are not coming back.

“Come and celebrate Christmas Eve-Eve with a good old knees up and a singalong, let’s send TMI [Bottle Shop] off with the biggest of goodbyes.

“Our last trading day will be December 23, where we will be having a final big send-off to The Made Inn brand.”

Landlord Steve Sitton said in a statement online “this is it.”

Sharing a photo of himself behind the bar on the pub's website, he added: “What’s next for ‘the Grumpy Landlord’? Well, pictures say a thousand words… Well, the one below does.

“Until we meet again friends, soon, very soon.”

Customers have been told gift card balances will be transferred to be used at either of the other bars within Coachworks from January 2024.

Gimmie Five Cards will no longer be able to be accepted after December 1.

“These do not need to be returned - please keep them on your keys and fly the flag for great memories,” a message on The Made Inn’s website says.

The firm opened its first micropub in New Rents, Ashford, five years ago but shut its doors in May following tough trading conditions. The brand launched the new venue at Coachworks in May last year.

Speaking at the time of the closure of the New Rents pub, Mr Sitton said the past few years had been difficult, and more challenging than he had ever anticipated when launching.

“Pubs are dying at an unbelievably fast rate, and this isn’t the first one to close its doors, it also won’t be the last one over the next year,” he said.

“Believe me when I say this wipeout is far greater than the one I worked through in the ‘great recession’ of 2008.”