London pubs

Generally speaking, pubs are expensive and noisey (piped musac!) but a good places to meet and socialise.

Bar staff need better/more training. WE ARE THE CUSTOMER - THEY ARE NOT DOING US A FAVOUR!

When my parents first moved to London there were 13 pubs within two blocks of their house, almost one in every corner. Note there are two, one having closed a year ago because the landlord wanted to convert the upper floors to flats. This was a very popular pub, with a good selection of beers and reasonably priced. Despite being offered more rent by the licencees, the landlord insisted, but nothing has been done, apart from the place being boarded up with “Danger, demolition in progress” signs. Now the nearest decent pub where I know anyone is my old local, 1½ miles away. There are plenty of trendy bars, but they're all overpriced and don't serve the kind of beers I like. It's a crying shame that so many pubs are closing down. The MPs have their subsidised bars in the Palace of Westminster, but they'll keep increasing the tax on beer, making the running of a pub a tough business. I used to work in the aforementioned former local, so I know that their margins are pretty tight. The only things they really make a decent profit on is soft drinks.

My area of London has a high proportion of non drinkers so most of our pubs have closed in Ilford. To find a traditional pub you travel to Wanstead.

The lose of LGBT pubs over the past decade is seriously harming our community, particularly in outer London areas. They provided a safe space for people to meet, talk, build friendships, get emotional & practical peer support. Closures mean a big gap and increased social isolation, risk of exploitation through social media & hookup applications etc.
Major pub chains should be encouraged to recognise social value of providing genuine community pubs and run some with major lower (breakeven) financial targets. Perhaps also use them as training venues, or product testing venues.

There's a difference in central city pubs - shifting clientele, noisy, expensive, and more suburban pubs - more locals, genuine friendships formed, regular attendance. I almost never visit a central London pub due to crowds of noisy patrons and usually a scacity of seats (add to this rubbish background music) but I do visit pubs in my area at least once a week. In my favoured local there are patrons from 20-80, everyone talks, and theres no food. I visit another local regularly for Sunday roasts,  and live music.

There's a lot of people on here posting they hate pubs and/or alcohol - simple don't go to them, but also don't try and prevent others going who do like them. 

Local estate pubs should be somehow protected and celebrated.....there are too many gastro/trendy pubs with a monochromatic demographic which doesn't honour the real beauty of London and its pub tradition. Also, some of the new  younger pubs are far too expensive and drinking a pint of lager or ale becomes unsustainable.

The golden days of pub in London was in the erly 200's when there was a right mix of traditional, gastro and trendy pubs....a choice for everyone.

Anyhow, pubs are always good news!

The problem isn't with pubs but rather the over abundance of fast food chains (often American) that provider cheaper, faster, less wholesome alternatives to the traditional pub offerings, with earnings often siphoned off to their foreign owners.

One could argue, and I would agree, that not all pubs will suffer from significant attrition towards fast food chains. However, it is safe to affirm that even a 10-20% reduction in food and beverage revenue can be devastating to local pub economics, where year round margins are slim at best.

The real solution to improving London's pub scenario is to severely limit the number of licenses/ permission of fast food chains in every borough. No one will ever miss one less Kentucy Fried Chicken or Chicken Cottage but the loss of more iconic pubs would permanently devastate London's unique cultural and historic heritage.

I'm appalled by the cultural vandalism of all the old-school pubs being stripped out and converted to gastros or just "distressed". Those old fittings, including the engraved windows, were part of our fabric and will never be replaced--in some cases the wood isn't even available any more. When every pub has the same "distressed" decor, we will look back and wonder how it happened.

If you think pubs are an imprtant part of the community and would like to help save another one earmarked for a block of flats please sign this petition https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/keep-the-goldsmiths-arms-a-pub

Biggest shame of pub closures is that we lose some stunning architecture ,inside and out. I'm sure they could be re purposed without conversion to extortionate flats.

It is heart breaking that the spotted dog on Upton Lane is boarded up despite being one of the oldest buildings in the borough. 

Surely someone with imagination can find another use for pubs that are no longer needed.

A key issue for pubs across the country and in London is the role and behaviour of the Pubs Code Adjudicator, which has been much discussed in Private Eye for months if not years now.

E.g. see article here - https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogeraitken/2018/12/28/crowdfund-launched-…

The confusion, delays, costs and conflicts of interest seem entirely unacceptable, and are clearly a deterrent to anyone wanting to run a pub for customers on a proper basis.  Regulation is bad enough;  bad regulation threatens everyone's peace of mind.

A key issue for pubs across the country and in London is the role and behaviour of the Pubs Code Adjudicator, which has been much discussed in Private Eye for months if not years now.

E.g. see article here - https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogeraitken/2018/12/28/crowdfund-launched-…

The confusion, delays, costs and conflicts of interest seem entirely unacceptable, and are clearly a deterrent to anyone wanting to run a pub for customers on a proper basis.  Regulation is bad enough;  bad regulation threatens everyone's peace of mind.

I believe pubs are important to London and the UK as a unique institution which serves local communities and is a draw for visitors from overseas. They are an important window to tBritish beer and spirts, products which are exported all over the world. Food is an important componant but should not be at the expense of area to meet and socialise. The pubs that are survisving are generally inproving their environment and offerings however innovation, which will al;ways be needed, is normally driven by owned pubs not those which are part of a large estates, with a few notable exceptions. 

large corperations have taken over pubs, they pay staff set wages, so no incientive to increase the profit margin. If a pub doesn't have the turnover the owners think it should have they will sell it. from an accountancy viewpoint it makes sense, they sell it or knock it down and build flats. The owners are not inerested in the locals, only their profit margin.

Pubs should display drink prices clearly e.g. on the pump as Wetherspoons do. Also if charging more than half price for a half pint this should be made clear. Maybe a sample of prices outside as restaurants do.

Business rates are too high for many pubs and need to be reviewed.

Local pubs need to retain accommodation for managers and staff. Too often planning permission is given to convert accommodation to flats leaving the pub as a lock up which often becomes unviable according to the developer who then asks to convert it.

A pub is somewhere predominantly for adults to socialise and have a drink or two or more.

Therefore although children should be welcome in pubs but only in designated appropriate areas and carers should keep their children entertained and not allow them to run around the pub. 

Dogs should also be allowed in pub but kept under control and not allowed to roam around pubs.

I think pubs are important for socialising and strengthening communities, because many people do not have their own lounge, hence find it difficult to arrange to spend time with friends. A pub is the next best thing, as it is a warm place where you can chill out in the evening, whether with alcohol or without. I would use pubs more often if they were more varied. Currently, most of the ones around me, do not feel chilled out. Instead, there is always sport on the screen and rowdiness. I've seen pubs with board games, but nowhere near me. Sitting and drinking is just too boring! Also, property is expensive and If you are just renting a room, there may not be a common space in your house, or you may want to focus on your close friends, without having to involve anyone else, such as your housemates. 

Love pubs. Long they last and represent the best of Britatin.

I run a U3A Real Ale Group so get to smple a wide range of Pubs and Breweries which offer Real ale. We have a great deal of fun as in total 18 members and usually 10-14 visit once a month. Have over the last nearly 4 years of running the Group found them welcoming and accommdating venues. The rise of the Micro breweries has been a great addition and as we visit other parts of the Country as well long may they reign!