Joe Courtney, who runs The Bull’s Head in Pratt’s Bottom on Rushmore Hill, Orpington, and The Summerfield in Lee, Lewisham, said the government’s fast-track review of “outdated” licensing laws misses the point entirely.
The review aims to make it easier for venues to serve food outdoors, host live music and stay open later.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the changes would help pubs “thrive as the beating heart of our communities.”
Joe said the proposals are unlikely to bring new customers through the door or make trading any easier.
He told the News Shopper: “In the past when we’ve asked for licensing extensions, we were told by councils it wouldn’t benefit us, that by then everyone’s drunk or heading to clubs.
“Now they’re saying later hours are the solution.
“It won’t bring any more people in. If anything, it could attract the wrong kind of customers and cause problems.”
Running two very different pubs has given Joe a clear view of the pressures on both ends of the industry.
The Bull’s Head is a food-led village pub with a welcoming atmosphere, while The Summerfield is a traditional, wet-led pub known for its stone-baked pizzas, open fires and friendly staff
Both, he said, are being squeezed by rising costs that have nothing to do with licensing.
He explained: “If you sell £26 dish and by the time you’ve paid VAT, corporation tax and staff, you’re left with about seven quid.
“From that you’ve got to cover rent, rates, water, electricity, gas, everything.”
He said pubs are being hit from all sides, with full business rates returning, new taxes on glass and sugar, and the ongoing rise in supplier costs.
While the government’s reforms come at no cost to the Treasury, Joe believes they will do little to help pubs survive.
He explained: “If venues stay open later, they’ll end up spending more on policing.
“The government looked at all the options and went for the one that doesn’t cost them anything.”
Joe believes the real difference would come from financial reform, such as cutting VAT for hospitality or reducing business rates.
He said even a temporary drop to 10 per cent VAT on food would “help massively” and could encourage more people to open or keep running venues.
Outside his Lewisham pub, he says he sees the everyday effects of that imbalance.
The Summerfield pays business rates, yet the area’s bins and bus stops are often littered with bags ripped open by foxes.
He said: “We’re paying all this money trying to make the pub look nice, and it feels like we’re on our own.”
Joe has also seen how customer habits have changed since the pandemic. People are going out less, and when they do, they expect more for their money.
Joe added: “Pubs have become destination venues now.
“Unless you’re next to a station, people aren’t just walking past and popping in anymore. They want good food, entertainment, atmosphere.
“So if you haven’t got that, you’ve got to spend more on marketing. It’s getting tougher and tougher.”
Many long-time operators are being pushed to the edge. He said some friends in the trade are just weeks away from debt despite working longer hours than ever.
Joe added: “Every year you work the same hours, maybe more, and you come out with less.
“Sooner or later people will ask, what’s the point?”
Despite everything, Joe said pubs like his still play a vital role in local life.
The Bull’s Head has been part of its village community for decades, and since taking over, he and his team have worked to bring back what he calls a “family friendly atmosphere and village togetherness.”
At The Summerfield, that sense of community is just as important.
Joe added: “Some of our regulars have lost their partners and the pub is their outlet, it’s where they see people.
“You can’t replace that by sitting at home with a can of beer. It’s so much more than that.”
Both pubs are preparing for a busy season, with a new autumn and winter menu now running at The Bull’s Head under chef Alec Toltz, and Remembrance Sunday expected to be one of The Summerfield’s biggest days of the year.
Although he says running pubs is harder than ever, Joe is determined to keep both venues thriving.
He said it feels as though the hospitality industry is “bottom of the pile” when it comes to government support and that “something real drastic needs to be done” to stop more pubs closing.
