RESTAURANT owners in Southampton have pitched in to support the chilly protest of the landlord of the recession-hit Grapes pub by supplying him with hot meals.

Trevor Nesbitt is staging a sit down protest outside the doors of the popular boozer he closed earlier this week, demanding the resignation of Ted Tuppen, boss of pub owner Enterprise Inns.

Trevor says that he cannot compete with rival pub chain JD Wetherspoon selling pints for 99p when Enterprise Inns charges him £1.57 and pushes up rents from £26,000 to more than £80,000 over five years while beer sales have declined from 3,000 a week in 2007 to just 830.

In sympathy, bosses of nearby Dockgate4 served up a warming meal of bangers and mash.

Yannick Hugoo, general manager, said: “The team at Dockgate 4 thought it would be a nice gesture to support Trevor.”

Trevor said: “I want to fight for small businesses that are suffering because of big business. I am going to sit outside 24 hours a day even if it kills me.”