The story behind UK pubs and their history.
The monopoly in public houses, and real estate, is largely a problem caused by the issues of the larger companies owning too much, and keeps coming back into focus. Your local pub is likely to be owned by a guy in Hong Kong.
In the 1990s we saw public houses being closed to avoid anti-competitive law.
Then through covid times, and energy prices riding high, turned our pubs into major sources of real estate, become an attraction to overseas investment companies.
We now have he two largest investment companies running most of the pubs in the UK. These are Stonegate, who also run David Lloyd and many cruise ship lines, and Greene King.
And NOW in 2026, Greene King is struggling with these debts, and selling off properties, and close pubs in London, but open propertties in cheaper areas of the country.
The pub history site by Kevan Wilding.
I am visiting the Essex Record Office on a regular basis at present, and continuing to add the early 1769 to 1825 Alehouse Recognizances to all my Essex pub history records.
Please send me some pictures and other detail to update the sites.