FREE

Editorial
in, the many brewery taps that are now operating fulfil a
similar role if not necessarily for the same sort of clientele.
‘Brexit’ will be much talked about but any real effect may
be some way off. It must however be an uncertain time for
the many Europeans who work behind London’s bars. The
one global brewer that was listed on the London stock
exchange, SABMiller, has of course already gone but for
different reasons. The fall in the value of the pound sterling
and the consequent increase in the cost of holidays abroad
is apparently encouraging ‘staycations’ and presumably
many of those will be spent in London. Likewise, the UK is
now a much cheaper destination for tourists from abroad
and we know that our unique pubs are an attraction. In their
‘Brexit manifesto’, the British Beer and Pub Association
specifically ask for there to be no changes to overseas
visitor visa requirements for two years. Any additional
money coming into the tills of our beleaguered pubs must
be welcome if only to offset their increased business rates.
It may be that companies like Fuller’s and Young’s who have
invested heavily in adding hotel space to their pubs will find
this literally paying dividends.
Heineken’s unexpected take-over of Punch Taverns at first
looked like an attempt to secure a bigger home market in
the face of an unexpected future and possibly a welcome
return to the old days of ‘vertical integration’ but the
involvement of a venture capital company is distinctly
disturbing.
The notion of a ‘deeper level of truth’ appears to apply to
the debate on alcohol and health. No-one disputes that the
abuse of alcohol is a severe health risk but there is a world
of difference between a furtively-consumed bottle of
supermarket vodka and a few pints a couple of nights a
week in company down the pub. I suspect that most readers
of this magazine can see that. Indeed a warm comfortable
pub where you can hear each other talk, a group of
friends and some decent beer is my idea of ‘hygge’, a
concept that pub-goers in these islands have known for
generations even if they didn’t know that that was what it
was called.
Just after Christmas, Public Health England announced
that 80% of the middle-aged are overweight because they
don’t exercise enough and drink too much alcohol so are
susceptible to illnesses such as type two diabetes. This, alas,
must encompass most of you reading (and writing) this
magazine. Not for the first time I say stop lecturing us and
give us some balanced, reasoned advice instead. I believe
that most of you are sensible enough to manage your
own health perfectly well so I wish you a happy and healthy
2017.
Tony Hedger
Ye Olde Mitre
No. 1 Ely Court, between Ely Place and Hatton
Garden, London EC1N 6SJ Tel: 020 7405 4751
Historic and
Traditional Ale-House
London Pride, Gales Seafarers,
Oliver’s Island and
4 guest ales every day plus a
traditional craft cider
Check out what’s on at:
yeoldmitreholborn.co.uk
BRITAIN’S BEST REAL HERITAGE PUB GUIDE 2017
MASTER CELLARMAN 2016
East London & City Pub of the Year 2006, 2008, 2010
and 2014
SPBW London Pub of the Year 2013
CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE 2016
4