People of all ages gather to back their local as part of 'Support an Independent Pub Day'.
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Punters have been heading down to their local to ‘Support an Independent Pub Day’ – a new scheme to help publicans weather the capital’s ongoing hospitality crisis.
The day, which will take place every year on February 10th, marks the first-ever designated calendar date for pub lovers across the City to rally behind their independent local.
Set up by blogger ‘London Pub Explorer’ and independent pub-backer CityStack, the initiative aims to increase footfall and sales for local taverns at what is said to be one of the most difficult times of the year for pubs after Dry January.
As independent pub owners grapple with rising operational costs and increasing rents – without the financial backing of larger pub chains – organisers hope the day will also help shine a spotlight on the difficult operating conditions they are facing.
Second-generation landlady Tuesday Roberts, who has welcomed hundreds of supporters to her nineteenth-century Leytonstone pub this week as part of the initiative, says the future is uncertain for many independent publicans.
Tuesday Roberts is a second-generation publican and owner of The Northcote Arms in Leytonstone, which was built in the 19th century.
“I guess everybody’s challenged by rent at the moment and mortgages. Pubs like us, we’ve got an upwards-only rent clause, so that means even if the rent goes up by 2 per cent, that is enough to send us over a cliff. You just slowly circle the drain and then go bust, and that is a reality for all of us. That’s why we look so panicked.”
According to the British Beer and Pub Association’s (BBPA) latest census, around half of UK pubs were run independently in 2019.
Due to growing financial pressures, many of them are struggling to stay afloat. The capital has been particularly badly affected, with recent data showing 46 of London’s public houses shut their doors for good in the first half of 2023 – the highest number of closures in any region of England.
Those independents that have managed to keep their doors open continue to struggle. According to recent survey from the British Institute of Innkeeping – whose members are majority independent publicans – 3 in 4 pubs operated unprofitably last year.
The Northcote Arms sells a number of locally brewed ales to help support fellow London business owners.
To help prevent further closures, late last year, the Government decided to extend its 75 per cent discount on business rates bills for pubs in England until March 2025.
Alison Boutoille, founder of independent pub initiative CityStack, says that while the move is welcome news for ailing independent pub owners, more long-term support is needed for them to truly thrive.
She said: “It’s very important to have these kind of initiatives that are supported by pub lovers, by consumers, by increasing footfall thanks to initiatives such as Support an Independent Pub Day or CityStack.
“But what would be very interesting would be to have some support from the government to allow the pub to have a long-term vision with a policy on the tax.
“Because when you’re a landlord or landlady and about to take over a pub, you try to make your calculation, but you know that the tax cut is going to end in six months or eight months, and then you don’t know what happens after. So I think that’s like having a long-term policy would be very beneficial for the industry.”
The Northcote Arms has been serving locals in Leytonstone since it opened in the 1880s. As the first in what’s anticipated to be an annual event, Tuesday, the organisers and many other independent pub owners hope to be able to count on the support of loyal pubgoers for many years to come.
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Standfirst
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Headline‘Support an Independent Pub Day’ launches to get punters drinking locally after Dry January
Short HeadlineLondoners launch first campaign supporting independent pubs
StandfirstIt comes as recent data shows the capital suffered the highest number of pub closures in any region of England in the first half of 2023.
Punters have been heading down to their local to ‘Support an Independent Pub Day’ – a new scheme to help publicans weather the capital’s ongoing hospitality crisis.
The day, which will take place every year on February 10th, marks the first-ever designated calendar date for pub lovers across the City to rally behind their independent local.
Set up by blogger ‘London Pub Explorer’ and independent pub-backer CityStack, the initiative aims to increase footfall and sales for local taverns at what is said to be one of the most difficult times of the year for pubs after Dry January.
As independent pub owners grapple with rising operational costs and increasing rents – without the financial backing of larger pub chains – organisers hope the day will also help shine a spotlight on the difficult operating conditions they are facing.
Second-generation landlady Tuesday Roberts, who has welcomed hundreds of supporters to her nineteenth-century Leytonstone pub this week as part of the initiative, says the future is uncertain for many independent publicans.
Tuesday Roberts is a second-generation publican and owner of The Northcote Arms in Leytonstone, which was built in the 19th century.
“I guess everybody’s challenged by rent at the moment and mortgages. Pubs like us, we’ve got an upwards-only rent clause, so that means even if the rent goes up by 2 per cent, that is enough to send us over a cliff. You just slowly circle the drain and then go bust, and that is a reality for all of us. That’s why we look so panicked.”
According to the British Beer and Pub Association’s (BBPA) latest census, around half of UK pubs were run independently in 2019.
Due to growing financial pressures, many of them are struggling to stay afloat. The capital has been particularly badly affected, with recent data showing 46 of London’s public houses shut their doors for good in the first half of 2023 – the highest number of closures in any region of England.
Those independents that have managed to keep their doors open continue to struggle. According to recent survey from the British Institute of Innkeeping – whose members are majority independent publicans – 3 in 4 pubs operated unprofitably last year.
The Northcote Arms sells a number of locally brewed ales to help support fellow London business owners.
To help prevent further closures, late last year, the Government decided to extend its 75 per cent discount on business rates bills for pubs in England until March 2025.
Alison Boutoille, founder of independent pub initiative CityStack, says that while the move is welcome news for ailing independent pub owners, more long-term support is needed for them to truly thrive.
She said: “It’s very important to have these kind of initiatives that are supported by pub lovers, by consumers, by increasing footfall thanks to initiatives such as Support an Independent Pub Day or CityStack.
“But what would be very interesting would be to have some support from the government to allow the pub to have a long-term vision with a policy on the tax.
“Because when you’re a landlord or landlady and about to take over a pub, you try to make your calculation, but you know that the tax cut is going to end in six months or eight months, and then you don’t know what happens after. So I think that’s like having a long-term policy would be very beneficial for the industry.”
The Northcote Arms has been serving locals in Leytonstone since it opened in the 1880s. As the first in what’s anticipated to be an annual event, Tuesday, the organisers and many other independent pub owners hope to be able to count on the support of loyal pubgoers for many years to come.
