EBS0001

Written evidence submitted by The George & Vulture

Since at least 1852, The George & Vulture has stood as a community public house on the corner of Pitfield & Haberdasher Street in Hoxton, Hackney.

We took the baton running the pub acquiring the lease in 2008 when the pub was in serious decline.  Turnover had dropped to less than £1,500 per week and the pub had fallen on hard times.  So far had the pub sunk, that there were 3 kennels in the pub and a resident heroin dealer who operated from the toilets, whom we quickly removed with the help of local “manor boss” Vinny who’s dad ran the area in the time of the Crays.

The pub has since risen to its former glory and now employs 28 full time staff and more than 60 part time through the year.  We have close links with our local church St John’s, Hoxton as well as an apprentice scheme for leavers from several local schools and youth clubs.

Turnover has significantly risen, and we estimate to feed around £600,000 annually into the local economy via paying wages to local staff, buying from independent suppliers within the borough and paying local contractors and Hackney council.

The energy crisis and rising bills is the single greatest threat to our existence and we quickly approach a precipice in April when support is significantly withdrawn.

Our bills for electricity alone rose from £18,000 per year to an estimated £46,000 when we renewed in May 2022, and we have been quoted an estimated £175,000 when we renew again in May 2023.

Alongside a tripling of our business rates, and £40,000 rise in rent to our freeholder, alongside spiralling supplier inflation, we cannot keep up, nor will customers allow rising beer and food prices when they too are feeling financially squeezed.  We estimate that from May 2023, the price of a pint of beer will likely need to be in excess of £18.00 to cover our rising costs.

Our landlord Fuller, Smith & Turner are receptive to discussions about rent reductions, as they were during Covid when they knocked 90% off our bills to ensure survival over the various lockdowns.  However even an extremely unlikely 100% reduction in rent would not save the business with energy costs at that level. 

We urge the government to selectively support businesses like ours.  Not all pubs are equal, but independent community hubs are a genuine lifeline for many people within our local community. 

Every week, we hand deliver more than 60 food parcels to local families and OAPs in our immediate vicinity for no charge to help support our community.  We have significant discounts in place for single OAPs who have frequented the pub for years and rely on our staff and other locals for their only social life.  We have given first jobs (at London living wage) to more than 60 school leavers since we arrived in 2008, and count more than 200 local people who we have helped fund professional qualifications within the hospitality industry.

Please help support local independent businesses otherwise 10s of thousands of businesses like ours will be lost.

February 2023