Comedian and Celebrity Traitors star Joe Lycett has put £100 behind the bar at 30 pubs across the UK, urging drinkers to support local venues amid a deepening closure crisis. The initiative launched during his Channel 4 series Live From The Lycett Arms.
Pubs across England are seeing unexpected custom this week thanks to a nationwide campaign by comedian Joe Lycett backing hospitality businesses. Lycett, who is currently competing in the BBC game show Celebrity Traitors, announced the £100 bar tabs during an episode of his Channel 4 talk show Live From The Lycett Arms.
Pub Closures and the Campaign for Local Communities
Speaking to viewers from his fictional east London television pub, Lycett highlighted the financial strain facing the British hospitality sector, noting that venues are closing at a rate of two a day. He urged the public to patronise their neighbourhood boozers, describing them as vital spaces for human connection.
I do want to talk about pub closures, it’s a serious problem, up and down the UK. British pubs are closing at a rate of two a day and it’s very sad …
Joe Lycett, comedian and presenter
Landlords welcomed the intervention as a much-needed spotlight on the industry. Duncan Randall, landlord of The Dog House in Smeeth, near Ashford, called the gesture amazing
after his rural business park venue was selected as one of the thirty participating sites.
The comedian has been broadcasting his show for Channel 4 inside a pop-up set requiring an official licence to sell and serve alcohol. In a statement concerning the regulatory process, Lycett joked about filling in government-mandated paperwork and expressed that he was thrilled beyond words to embark on the extended process before returning his attention to figuring out how to get around being locked out of Gov.uk.
Free Pints Across Thirty UK Venues
Drinkers looking to claim a complimentary drink must visit one of the listed venues and ask for their order to be put on ‘Joe’s tab’. The promotion is strictly limited to one drink per customer while funds last.
The participating establishments span the nation, featuring regional favourites alongside famous London spots such as The Miller in London Bridge, Clerkenwell’s The Old Ivy, and the Signature Brew taproom in Haggerston. Other regional participants include The Hallamshire House in Sheffield, Northampton’s The Black Prince, and The Unicorn in Oxfordshire, alongside The Dodo in Hanwell, Dexter and Jones in Knutsford, The Selden Arms in Worthing, the Red Lion in Wombourne, The Crown Inn in Harbury, and the Mikkeller Pub in Shoreditch.
- The Crown (Accrington): Landlord Will Gilmartin confirmed the tab will help ease pressures during difficult economic conditions.
- The Old Monkey and The Peveril of the Peak (Manchester): Offering free pints on a first-come, first-served basis, with The Old Monkey matching Lycett’s £100 contribution out of its own pocket.
- The Miller (London Bridge): Operating from 6pm, management announced they would double Lycett’s amount.
- The Crown (Cuddington): A community pub which reopened following a £660,000 fundraising campaign.
- Dexter & Jones (Knutsford): A craft beer bar run by Adam and Katy Rickitt.
Broader Pressures on the Hospitality Sector
The campaign arrives as pub owners face mounting overheads, including minimum wage adjustments and operational expenses. Tim Martin, founder of the Wetherspoons pub chain, noted that wages account for a portion of an average pint, warning that government interventions in operating costs carry full of double-edged swords for everyone
.
On the policy front, the government announced that qualifying pubs, social clubs, and live music venues in England will receive a 20% cut in business rates starting in April 2027.