ELDERLY people struggling to afford their heating should visit their local pub to stay warm, says celebrity chef Tom Kerridge.
The 50-year-old said a trip to the boozer can also help tackle loneliness and raise a smile.
Tom explained: “Pubs are so intrinsic and so important to our society.
“A posh pub in Chelsea will have a community feel. But even pubs on little council estates where we grew up, they’re hubs, they’re spaces.”
"It's top money for beer and it's expensive for steaks, but it still will have a community about it.
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"Now, when there's a cost of living crisis, when there are places where people can't afford to put their heating on throughout the day."
Referring to an advert for a pub in Ireland where a lonely old man makes friends with a young couple over a drink, Tom added: “You talk about the old man in the advert. Well actually, if he’s not going to put on his heating in the day, he can spend that time in the pub, with locals, friendly, staying warm, conversation.”
Tom, who owns the Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers gastropub in Marlow, Bucks, added: “Human interaction is so vitally important to our everyday lives, and pubs provide that more than anywhere else.
"They’re so, so important and they are also places of fun that service a need.”
Tom admitted he “wasn’t a big Wetherspoons fan” but admired the chain’s model of opening for breakfast through until dinner.
