A landlord has defended a controversial move to ban all smoking at his pub - arguing it's not 'woke' and will attract more customers than it will lose.
John Garrod, landlord of the Hope Inn in Hythe, Kent, has decided to ban all smoking on the pub's premises, including in its beer garden and patio area.
The 72-year-old, a non-smoker himself, believes the move will appeal to those wanting to enjoy a drink or a meal outside without being engulfed in clouds of second-hand smoke.
However, Mr Garrod has sparked a backlash since announcing the move - with many locals branding it 'woke' and saying they didn't want to be 'nannied'.
John Garrod, landlord of the Hope Inn in Hythe, Kent, has decided to ban all smoking on the pub's premises, including in its beer garden and patio area.
The 72-year-old, a non-smoker himself, believes the move will appeal to those wanting to enjoy a drink or a meal outside without being engulfed in clouds of second-hand smoke.
However, Mr Garrod has sparked a backlash since announcing the move - with many locals branding it 'woke' and saying they didn't want to be 'nannied'.
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00:00We've recently introduced a ban on smoking throughout our premises, that includes the garden as well.
00:10We've done this for the comfort of the majority of our customers, the overwhelming majority of whom are non-smokers.
00:21Also, the majority of our customers eat in our pub, including in the garden.
00:30So it's quite unpleasant for them to have smoke drifting over them from smokers, unfortunately.
00:41It only takes one smoker to affect possibly a dozen people or even more, making their experience less comfortable than it would other be.
00:54I think overall we'll probably gain customers. Certainly the customers, once again the majority of customers, will enjoy their experience more without the smokers.
01:11And it's the majority of our customers that I have to look after, rather than the minority.
01:15If the majority of customers were smokers, I might be thinking differently, but I have to look after the majority.