Lockdown: Milton Keynes pubs could pour 28,500 pints of beer down the drain this week

The national lockdown - which will start on Thursday (November 5) and end on December 2 - restrictions announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson means that all pubs and restaurants must close.

Charlotte Green, from Milton Keynes waste company TradeWaste.co.uk, said many pubs, restaurants, cafes and food outlets will have to throw away 'lots of food and drink' if it isn't sold before Wednesday (November 4).

She said: “The amount of potential waste caused by a sudden lockdown is staggering and could be as high as 28,500 pints in Milton Keynes alone – however it is thought that because of the length of notice, and the deals on offer, the wastage could be much less, which would be great news."

Charlotte urged people to get down to 'your local' and 'buy a pint' or order some food to help businesses and prevent excess waste.

A TradeWaste.co.uk spokesperson said the 'big problem' facing Milton Keynes pubs and restaurants now is that a third of their revenue is generated during the Halloween to New Year rush, a 'massively important' time for cashflow before heading into the dead seasons of January and February.

Some of the larger chain pubs have been selling pints of beer for 99p in an effort to clear out stocks and avoid huge waste, according to TradeWaste.co.uk

Mitchells and Butlers, one of the largest pub operators, reported that the first lockdown cost it £11m in waste caused by extra beer in pubs ready for St Patrick’s Day, which did not happen.