Stuart Broad, Harry Gurney convert pub into delivery services

The two fast bowlers decided to reopen one of the pubs they have owned since 2016 under its new guise as a takeaway and a village shop in an attempt to keep some kind of revenue stream allowing them to pay their full-time staff. Harry Gurney said that they wanted to find a way to generate income in order that we were able to continue paying people throughout the crisis. 

"We started this back, on Monday, when the prime minister said to avoid pubs, and then when he updated that advice to pubs having to close on Friday, we were three or four days ahead of the curve. The idea we started doing it was job preservation because we knew that the trade of the pubs was going to pretty much vanish overnight, and we've got people who rely on us to pay their mortgages. We wanted to find a way to generate income in order that we were able to continue paying people throughout the crisis,” said Gurney, reported ESPN Cricinfo.

For Gurney, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted one of the busiest periods in the business' history from a management perspective, with opening nights the only contenders. Along with Broad and the third partner in their business, Dan Cramp, he runs two pubs in the Midlands, and as things stand intends to keep both open throughout the crisis. 

"I'm a lot more hands-on than Broady, but he's great when he's around - it's not common that we're around at the same time," Gurney said. "He visits the pub, he does stuff on social media, and he's talking about helping us do some takeaway and grocery deliveries next week," added Gurney.