Loss of independent pubs in London 'frightening'

11-Oct-2024 - Last updated on 11-Oct-2024 at 15:52 GMT

The loss of independent pubs in London is “frightening” and support for these “unique” venues is more important than ever.

CityStack founder Alison Boutoille, who has been championing independent venues across the capital since 2021, told The Morning Advertiser (MA) she is on a mission to boost footfall for independent pubs in London as they continue to face “tremendous challenges.”

She told The MA: “All the planets are aligning to make it more complicated for [operators] to thrive.

“If we don't support independent businesses we’ll end up with only chains. And the reason why people love independent pubs so much is, unlike chains, you can feel the soul of the places.

“You can read the personality of a landlord on the walls of an independent pub. That’s why people are trying to look for [those venues] because they are very unique.”

Boutoille, who has a background in marketing, moved to London in 2020 and started CityStack in November 2021 after falling in with British pub culture and seeing the myriad of challenges faced by operators post-pandemic.

Community feeling

The initiative aims to help consumers identify independent pubs in London and make budgeting for going out easier amid the cost-of-living-crisis through the sale of ‘giftsets’ containing information and discounts.

Customers purchase packs of 10 “discovery beermats” for £25 from the CityStack website or in venues opting to sell packs, which include £100 worth of food and drinks vouchers and information on a selection of 10 pubs involved in the scheme, which acts as a stamp card.

Each pack has a different set of 10 venues and includes a map of all the pubs partnered with CityStack.

While the customer discount is funded by the pub, joining the scheme and the marketing resources provided, including support with events such as historical pub crawls and live music, are free.

“If we lose independent businesses and only have chains, we risk having a higher turnover of staff and less of the community feeling that is so important for independent businesses.

“The only way to support independent pubs as a consumer is by visiting them and that's what we're trying to do; boost footfall so independent pubs can [survive against rising] costs”, Boutoille continued.

The founder initially selected 10 pubs in London to participate in the scheme and subsequently launched a crowdfunding campaign, which she said “overachieved in a short period of time”.

"The fact that these places are closing is frightening”

Since then, the business has grown to include some 60 independent pubs in the capital, with 50 having joined the scheme last year alone.

One such pub signed up to the Scheme is The Gladstone Arms on Kitto Road in Peckham, which has seen an average of five new customers a week thanks to CityStack.

Another venue is Skehan’s pub, also in Peckham, which has gained an average of seven new customers per week since joining the scheme.

The Kenton Arms in Hackney, a Great British Pub Awards finalist in the Best Beer Pub Cateogory, is also a member of CityStack.

To qualify for CityStack, pubs just need to fill out a form and receive a visit from Boutoille.

CityStack then creates a dedicated page for the pubs on their websites and promotes venues through newsletters and social media.

Connect with people

While the scheme is currently only concentrated to London, Boutoille would like to extend CityStack to other cities in the future.

The entrepreneur added the fact CityStack is a tangible gift makes it particularly popular around Christmas time, which in turn can help boost trade for the pubs involved during the typically quieter post-festive season.

“People are a bit fed up with applications and this is the perfect stocking filler, so we sell a lot during Christmas, which is good because people are excited to redeem their discounts straight after, which is the worst period for pubs.

“It just makes it a bit playful. You never know which 10 pubs you're going to have in your pack. So, it's like Pokémon cards to collect”, she said.

Ahead of the Budget on Wednesday 30 October, Boutoille urged the Government to “clarify” their goals on tax to enable independent firms to plan for the long term, in particular regarding alcohol duty and business rates.

“Pubs are the only place in the world you go there to connect with other people. You can find amazing food and beer, but the main reason you go there is to connect with other people and that's why you have so many people from different generations that go there. And the fact that these places are closing is frightening.”