This weekend, we’ll be raising a glass to the news that The Old Justice pub has been restored and is looking for new owners. But it hasn’t been easy getting to this point.
Back in July 2017, a developer submitted plans to turn the pub into flats – an all-too-familiar story. Pubs across London face intense commercial pressure for residential land in London. Sadly, investors frequently see flats as a more reliable revenue stream than pubs. But Bermondsey refused to accept this turn of events, and so began campaigns from councillors, industry figures and locals aiming to keep the pub in its original form. At one point, campaigners from the southeast London branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), along with residents and councillors, held a ‘mock trial’ outside its doors.
Bermondsey’s The Old Justice pub restored after previous owner tore up its Tudor-style fittings
Eventually, the plans were rejected. The Tudor-style interior was sadly torn apart, so it’s good to hear the restoration has been a success. Not only does this mean locals might finally be back at the much-loved pub after a five-year wait, but it’s a glimmer of hope for an industry that we hear is often on the ropes.
When Liz Truss announced the freeze on alcohol duty as part of her failed mini-budget, publicans’ hopes were raised, only to be dashed when her government collapsed. Last month, 100 UK drink industry figures wrote a letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, urging him to rethink the decision to reverse the alcohol duty freeze.
In the past three decades, the number of pubs across the capital has halved from more than 7,000 to around 3,500. This decline is particularly worrying for Southwark. As one of London’s most vibrant boroughs, pubs are a key cog in the local economy – whether it’s the hipster bars of Peckham Rye or the sticky-floored boozers of Bermondsey.
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Last month, 100 UK drink industry figures wrote a letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt urging him to rethink its decision to reverse the alcohol duty freeze.
In the past three decades, the number of pubs across the capital has halved from more than 7,000 to around 3,500.
This decline is particularly worrying for Southwark. As one of London’s most vibrant boroughs, pubs are a key cog in the local economy – whether it’s the hipster bars of Peckham Rye or the sticky-floored boozers of Bermondsey.