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'Perfect storm of pressures' forces the closure of pub
Western Gazette
|May 29, 2025
A PUB near Chard closed its doors forever last week, blaming “a perfect storm of external pressures” for its closure.
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The Candlelight Inn told customers that rising minimum wages, slashed business rates relief, and A303 closures made their business untenable.
In a heartfelt post to their website, the owners of the inn said: “It’s with great sadness that we announce the permanent closure of The Candlelight. This wasn’t the plan.
“When we took on The Candlelight, we poured in everything - heart, soul, and savings - to breathe new life into a beloved rural pub. What we didn’t foresee was a perfect storm of external pressures that would make survival virtually impossible.”
This story is from the May 29, 2025 edition of Western Gazette.
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