With last orders called on England's pubs for at least another two weeks and - the outlook for many landlords looks bleak.
Hit by social distancing regulations and the 10pm curfew since Covid-19, pubs had already been going through uncertain times with changing drinking habits, a switch to alcohol-free drinks and competition from cheap supermarkets taking their toll.
Before lockdown hit in March, CAMRA bosses warned that the pandemic would cause pubs and breweries to 'close and never reopen to serve their communities'.
Sign up for more business news straight to your inbox
Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, email breaking news alerts and weekly round-ups. To sign up, find out more and see all of our newsletters, follow the link here
And the figures are worrying - industry magazine reported that more than 300 pubs have been permanently closed, set to be demolished or converted for other uses in 2020, according to data by real estate adviser Altus Group.
And the casualty list is set to rise as Covid-19 restrictions continue.
Kevin Georgel, the boss of St Austell Brewery that extends well beyond the second lockdown as the industry once again shuts up shop, furloughs staff and gives away unused stock.
The plight of the local is being highlighted in a new series, beginning on November 12 in .
Most Read
It starts with a spotlight on the , where a 300-year-old freehouse, the only pub in the village, is in danger of closing.
Ian and Amy Durnal have been at the pub since September 2017 and have since set up a community shop as part of their plans to revitalise the business. The pub was recognised as Cornwall Kernow CAMRA Pub of the Year 2019.
From takeaway roasts to fish and chip deliveries, pubs and breweries have been finding imaginative ways to reach customers.
Not least among them is the decision by government to allow pubs to sell takeaways so they can compete from the off licences and supermarkets that have been classed 'essential suppliers' and have been allowed to stay open.
The essential guide to Lockdown 2.0
The move has been described by the, which will allow customers to support local businesses.
The new guidance shows England’s pubs and independent brewery taprooms can sell beer for takeaway providing it is pre-ordered via phone, web or post.
Demonstrating the stark reality for landlords and their livelihoods, Nick and Lucy Clowes who run The Reform Inn, at Thornclilffe near Leek in Staffordshire , said they would do what was right and vowed to stay open in defiance of the Covid regulations - before thinking better of it.
Don’t miss
Nick said they had put blood, sweat and tears in to grow their business.
And it is not just the pubs themselves but the producers and breweries that sit in the supply chain.
For many small producers, finding a direct route to customers by boosting an online presence has been the only way through the pandemic.
For Harry's Cider in Somerset, and through small retailers, farm shops, village shops and off licences, it was able to sell bottled ciders almost pound for pound against last year.
Direct sales were able to offset the loss of around 70% of its trade sales when the first lockdown forced the closure of pubs, bars and restaurants.
Cornwall's Sharp's Brewery saw an uplift in sales in its bottled and tinned beer - helping to mitigate the loss of its cask ale sales when the pubs were forced to close during the spring. Online beer orders increased by a huge 639% on average from March to September. It expanded its shop team and has been operating a click and collect service.
But it's never a good thing when even the big pub groups are suffering. This week, Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin blamed for his business making a loss for the first time in 36 years.
Wetherspoon has 756 pubs currently closed across England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It also has 51 sites in Wales which have just emerged from a two-week lockdown, along with 64 in Scotland, which are “subject to an extremely onerous tier system”, he said.
In Scotland, hospitality venues in Level 3 must close at 6pm and are not allowed to sell alcohol, while in Level 2 closing time is 8pm indoors – where no alcohol can be sold – and 10.30pm outdoors for food and drinks.
The pub chain revealed a loss of £105.4m with first quarter sales falling by 27.6%. It said it will burn through around £14m during the second lockdown.
Last month, pub chain ends.
But there is some optimism on the horizon. is a confidence vote for the future of the pub trade.
Liberation said it would finance the cost of the acquisition with a new equity investment from its ultimate shareholder, Caledonia Investments plc.
According to the Jersey-based company, all staff will be transferred as part of the deal.
Liberation also said it intended to invest “substantial capital” into many of the businesses to support future growth.
Jonathan Lawson, chief executive of Liberation Group, said: "We have ambitious plans for these businesses and look forward to a successful future together.”
Mr Lawson said the challenges posed by Covid-19 continued to be “substantial” but had not impacted the company’s longer-term plans.