TL:DR
- The Sun Tavern in Bethnal Green faces a staggering 632.1% increase in business rates, the highest in London.
- This equates to an extra £70,800 annually, jeopardising its viability.
- Owner Andy Kerr expresses fears of closure due to the unsustainable costs.
- The rise is part of a wider trend, with several other pubs also experiencing significant rate increases.
- Nearly 30% of UK pubs fear they may not survive the next year due to rising costs.
‘I run Britain’s officially most f***ed pub – our rates are going up more than 600%’ | News UK
The Sun Tavern in Bethnal Green, east London, has been rated the ‘most f***ed’ out of all venues in the capital.
London’s ‘most f***ed pubs’ have officially been revealed, with one popular local facing a more than 600% increase in business rates.
The Sun Tavern in Bethnal Green, east London, has been rated the ‘most f***ed’ out of all venues in the capital as they are set to see a 632.1% increase in rateable value.
This will lead to an extra £70,800 per year, and is more than six times what other businesses in the area are facing, according to new rating website ismypubf***ed.com.
Owner Andy Kerr told WTX News: ‘It is absolutely crazy. We have been trading for 11 years and I won’t lie we are very popular. At weekends we are packed.
‘But how can I possibly afford this? I’ll have no choice but to close the business – I will hardly be able to sell it because who on earth would want to buy with the rates so high?’
Rateable value is measured based on a building’s size and location, and determines how much the owner needs to pay in rates.
The Sun Tavern, Bethnal Green – 632.1% increase
The Spread Eagle, Wandsworth – 622.4% increase
Nags Head Peckham, Peckham – 613.3% increase
The Bank of Friendship, Highbury – 537.8% increase
The Clarence Tavern, Stoke Newington – 514% increase
The Pelton Arms, Greenwich – 479% increase
The Village Green, Muswell Hill – 469.2% increase
The Wickham Arms, Brockley – 451.5% increase
The Beaten Docket, Cricklewood – 431.3% increase
The Dog and Bell, Deptford – 425% increase
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she is ‘particularly concerned’ about the effect the rise of business rates will have on pubs.
And in April, Covid-era relief will officially end and sites will be revalued if they haven’t already.
But Andy said his building can only seat 60 people and has significantly smaller square footage compared to others in the area who are not seeing anywhere near as big an increase.
In east London, the pub facing the second highest rate increase is the Fox and Hounds, with a 362.2% jump.
Despite only being able to seat 60 people, the venue is facing an astronomical rise in business rates.
But this is still nearly half of what Andy is now scrambling to afford.
He said: ‘No one has come out to see me or talk to me about the increases, so I don’t understand why ours has gone up so much.
‘We are so busy we even would have been able to afford it being doubled. But we are fortunate in that respect, as a lot of other places are living hand to mouth.’
The website has taken official data from the Valuation Office Agency to see who has the largest increases to create the ‘F***ed Pub Index’ (FPI).
They compared the current 2023 Rating List with the 2026 Draft Rating List – set to be brought in in 2026 – to see who has the highest increases.
If a pub will see more than a 200% increase, they will be given the ‘Absolutely F***ed status’ on the FPI.
And if a pub is seeing a 100-200% jump, they will be categorised as ‘F***ed’, and 50-100% they are deemed to be ‘Struggling’.
It comes as a new poll from Survation for the UK Spirits Alliance revealed that nearly three in ten pubs (equivalent to around 11,000 venues across the UK) believe they may not survive next year.
Meanwhile, the British Beer and Pub Association warned the Chancellor that pubs are at tipping point, with one predicted to close every day this year.