Britain's oldest pub closes after 1,229 years 

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, a St. Albans, England, pub that purports to have been in business for 1,229 years, announced it is closing down due to financial problems that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of Ye Olde Fighting Cocks/Facebook

Feb. 8 (UPI) -- A pub purported to be the oldest in Britain is closing because of financial difficulties 1,229 years after it was established.

The Ye Olde Fighting Cocks pub in St. Albans, England, announced on Facebook that it was closing permanently after financial problems made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pub's website states the business first started pouring drinks in the year 793.

"Along with my team, I have tried everything to keep the pub going," pub manager Christo Tofalli wrote in the Facebook post.

"However, the past two years have been unprecedented for the hospitality industry, and have defeated all of us who have been trying our hardest to ensure this multi-award-winning pub could continue trading into the future."

Tofalli said the pub's financial problems predated the pandemic, but issues continually worsened until the team determined it no longer would be able to meet financial obligations.

"It goes without saying I am heartbroken. This pub has been so much more than just a business to me, and I feel honored to have played even a small part in its history," he wrote.

Mitchells & Butlers, the brewery that owns the building, said the pub could potentially reopen.

"We are currently exploring all opportunities for the site's future and hope to reopen the pub under new management as soon as possible," a spokesman told CNN.