George Canning Pub

[Michael Palaeologus]

Not in ED, but we have had Forum drinks there, so, it counts. Anyway,

Went past it on the 40 at about 8.30 this evening. It was shut.

Have I missed something?

[Sue]

Yeh you missed it being open :)

[????]

I've notced it being shut alot too (during normal hours Sue, Arf Arf) but then on Saturday it was open again...

[computedshorty]

?

[bubbachumps]

We live locally and have found it shut many times too. Quite often when we are in it's nearly empty - we were in last Tuesday night and there were only a couple of tables of people and they hadn't even bothered to light the candles on tables like they usually do. It would be a shame if it closed as it's a lovely pub - I think it's suffering because of the Phoenix

[matthew123]

Went there for the Forum drinks few months back and the bar service was atrocious - I also think it was a superior pub before it was burnt down, seemed a lot more spacious and is now a little bit plastic. They used to do a Quiz night where the winning team would set the next weeks questions and had a rolling jackput which built up to a few hundred pounds worth of booze, as well as 3 weekly prizes.

So not sure it's because of the Phoenix, I think it's rather because they've slit their own throats that is business is hard.

[scotslass]

It had a notice on the door yesterday saying it was closed for a private party

[mockney piers]

It did have notice saying it was shut for private party.

I do fear for it as it's a nice pub with a lovely lovely landlord, but he's made no secret about how tough it is for tied pubs, and if their fair pint campaign isn't successful it could conceivably end up joining the dozens of tied pubs going out of business every month.

I really sincerely hope it doesn't.

[????]

Matt - the GC was burnt down? the pheonix was but not when it was a pub...

[matthew123]

Pretty sure the GC burnt down around 10 years ago - it certainly has no resemblence to its former structure

[Ladygooner]

It looks completely closed up to me tonight

[Jeremy]

A couple of years ago it was pretty popular, but seemed to be quieter recently.

From the sounds of things they'd been struggling to make ends meet for a while now due to the pubco arrangement (as per mocker's comment).

[nashoi]

I was told earlier in the year that all the pubs in Camberwell were up for sale with the exception of the Hermits and The Bear. Since then the Silver Buckle has gone the GC looks in trouble and hasn't the Dark Horse closed?

[Keef]

Really nice people, but the place never really did it for me. Still, I hate seeing pubs close, and will say a prayer to the God of beer for it.

[char1ie]

Went there once, got the worst service for miles around. Can't say I'm surprised it's not doing too well. Food was OK but when you've waited an hour while the staff have their breaks before they can be arsed to cook it for you, and the bar staff are rude to you for enquiring about the food, you tend to forget about the quality of the meals.

Charlie

[achub]

It was closed last week on a Tuesday evening about 7, definitely no private party or anyone inside... I really hope it's not bad news, I used to love that pub when I lived in Camberwell! :'(

[scotslass]

maybe the sign was a closing down party - it was all locked up last night and chairs are stacked up inside. Not looking good

[TJS]

it has been like that since last Monday evening and it looks completly untouched.

[sazzle]

GC was closed this evening when i came past 6.30ish.

Nashoi - The Dark Horse has re-opened as Le Petit Parisien and looks v nice!

[Mark Dodds]

The George Canning is totally comprehensively SHUT. It's a simple story of the rent and beer prices being too high. The odd bit of poor service besmirches all places once in a while and isn't necessarily representative of the norm. I;ve had some great times there and some really good food, as well as some dodgy experiences which, unfortunately I know is sometimes what customers at my pub encounter - HORROR - most of the time we get it half way right though.

IF you're interested in the underlying reasons why so many pubs are SHUT these days, have a look at the Fair Pint Campaign website www.fairpint.org.uk which Steve, the former owner of the George Cannning and I set up with six other publican licensee people in May 2008.

PS my pub (I own the Albatross Lease) is Sun and Doves in Coldharbour Lane, Not just a punter. Have a degree of knowledge about the dirty laundry of the subject of the pubco tie and Steve i s one of my closest friends...

[Huguenot]

That's very sad, I had some great times at the George.

I don't quite understand the PubCo thing.

Have the publicans borrowed money off the PubCo, or do the PubCo own the pub, or what?

If the publicans are independent and created the tie for other benefits, well.... you can hardly blame the devil if you're entering into some sort of Faustian pact can you?

[andyxlandells]

PUBco's own the properties and tie the landlords to purchaseing arrangements via them, whilst you can buy other beers its not economic to do so as the rents go up

ironicaly it was the beer orders act that caused this buy forcing the breweries to cut their ties and sell off a % of thier pubs ( which were bought by banks in the main) the idea was to increase choice whilst all they did was replace one form of dictaorship with another

[Huguenot]

So if the PubCo makes being a landlord economically unrewarding by charging too high prices for the beer, then they get no rent?

Isn't this then just a classic labour dispute?

Strikes me that the landlords need a union?

[ojm]

I assume the Old Nun's Head is heading the same way? Big 'You could run this pub - to let' sign outside, though seems to be business as usual in the meantime.... Very sad to see..