26/01/2026
A note from Joe the owner of The Summerfield
Iv been contemplating writing this post for a while now and I really feel like you should go with your gut at all times. I wasn’t sure at first and then I saw some amazing publicans who are friends in the industry do exactly what I had been wanting to do for a while and that was write this post. We wear our heart on our sleeve at The Summerfield and want to be transparent and explain personally what we are going through at the moment with the variety of price rises.
We’ve tried for as long as possible not to put our prices up since receiving all the negative factors, but after speaking properly with our brewery and beer brands over the last few weeks, we’ve reached a point where we can’t keep absorbing the increases without hurting the pub long-term. So we wanted to be open with you about what’s actually going on.
The cost of the beer we buy has gone up again. To keep things exactly where they are financially (not making a penny more), we’ve been told we need to add atleast 20p to every pint, and closer to 40p on Guinness. That extra money doesn’t come to us (about 4p of it is VAT), and most of the rest disappears into higher supplier charges, fuel, energy, wages, and tax. In real terms, we won’t see a penny of it.
At the same time, a lot of our other costs are jumping all at once. From April our business rates are going up by over 100%. Wages are rising again (which we support), but it now also costs us much more to employ people because the employers’ NI threshold has been cut. On top of that, everything from insurance to cleaning products to utilities has gone up.
All of this means we’re under more pressure than we were even two years ago, despite being busier at times.We have had to turn away young people locally who want their first job because we just can’t afford to take them on right now. That’s not something we’re happy about. Because we have seen amazing people come into us shy and lacking in confidence then leaving much more robust and full of self belief.
When you see a few prices creep up at the bar, please know it’s not about us trying to squeeze more profit out of anyone. It’s about trying to keep the pub running properly, paying our team fairly, keeping the place safe and warm, and still being here in a year’s time. Unlike 10 pubs a week closing their doors for the very last time.
Pubs shouldn’t have to become a luxury. They’re meant to be places you can drop into, meet your mates, celebrate, and be part of the community. But rising costs everywhere are pushing things in that direction.
If you hear people saying “pubs are just being greedy,” feel free to put them right.
And if you can, please keep supporting your local pubs, including us.
We love being part of this community, and we love what pubs stand for.
We just wanted you to understand why some of these decisions are now out of our hands. However we will continue to play our part in the community, to be a hub where friends and family hold so many memories. It’s a part of our very being in London. We would do anything for anyone, especially those in need.
No sympathy needed , just understanding. 👊
Thanks, as always, for your support. Your loyalty, friendship and love you show myself and the staff means so much to us and long live your local pub.
Thanks
Joe & The Summerfield Family
