Londoners blame ‘people not getting drunk anymore’ for Gail’s takeover of pub

A pub which closed down is set to reopen as a Gail’s – but Londoners fear this means Britain has fallen out of love with drinking.

The Hackney Tap, on Mare Street in east London, closed suddenly last August after trading for around four years.

In a post on social media confirming its closure, the pub said it was ‘sorry’ to announce the news but did not confirm why it was happening.

Now the building where the pub was based, which is Grade-II listed, has been plastered with Gail’s adverts announcing it will open there soon.

It is the latest chapter in the rise of the bakery chain, which plans to open up to 40 stores this year, and the decline of independent pubs.

James Newland, 27, told Metro he was ‘not a fan’ of the Hackney Tap’s closure last July.

‘It is a shame people don’t get drunk anymore. It is sad, we are all prioritising the gym over the pub. It might be good for your physical health but not your mental health.’

The environmental economist said that chains and commercial venues like Gail’s are pushing out of social venues from high streets.

He added: ‘Community spaces are being replaced by commercial ones. This is the centre of the community of Hackney, there should be a pub on this street. There should be more social spaces here.

‘It is also a shame we don’t have more independent stores.’

Chris Priestman, 28, and his flatmate Michael, 27, live opposite the Hackney Tap and joked they ‘predicted it would become a Gail’s as soon as it closed’.

The pair are mourning the pub’s closure, describing it as the one peaceful place on an otherwise bustling High Street.

They told Metro the Tap’s closure was another sign of gentrification in the area, after Pret a Manger opened a store around the corner just a month ago.

Tom, 22, added that it was another sign that younger Brits are no longer fans of going to pubs.

He told Metro: ‘The younger generation are just not going to pubs. It is harder for pubs to stay in business.

‘Social media are pushing healthier lifestyles and gym culture. People are drinking a lot less.’

‘People are losing more social interaction, but maybe they are having that interaction at the gym now.’

He added that despite this, he felt the location looked like the perfect for the bakery chain.

His girlfriend Anastasia, 25, added that she felt many people ‘are prioritising healthier lifestyles.’

She added: ‘People are trying to wake up early now and get their bread in the morning.’

According to a survey by UK supermarket Ocado, which was published in January, 43 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds and 32 per cent of 35 to 54-year-olds have given up alcohol entirely.

Half of all under-55s now only drink alcohol on special occasions, the study also showed.

The drop in drinkers has been devastating for the pub and club industry.

Six pubs closed every week in 2024, leading in approximately 4,500 job losses, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

London was the hardest hit, with 34 pubs shutting up shop.

Gail’s has seen this kind of controversy before. When word spread of plans to open a store in Walthamstow village in north east London, locals revolted.

1,800 people signed a petition to stop the business from opening, describing the area as a ‘treasured for its collection of local, independent, and family-run businesses’.

At the time, a spokesperson for Gail’s said: ‘We understand the concern around chains, but our view is that a healthy high street is one with a diversity of quality offers each delivering their best.

‘High streets evolve over time and we open our small bakeries often in closed banks or stranded restaurants.

‘All of our bakeries exist in areas where the choices are wide and growing – we should be celebrating the improvement in our food landscapes.’

The branch later opened as planned, despite the backlash.

Maria, 41, did not hide her disappointment at another well known brand on the high street.

The psychotherapist told Metro: ‘There are too many chains, they are destroying local businesses. The nearest Gail’s is not very close by. 

‘There are already so many chains here.’

Daire, 26, who also used to enjoy a drink at the Hackney Tap, also said he favoured ‘small and better coffee shops and small independent pubs.’

But he thought there were bigger things to worry about, complaining that people are ‘getting more upset about coffee than they do about what is happening in Gaza.’

Gail’s opened its first branch in Hampstead in 2005. It is now worth a £500 million.

They have more than 150 stores and are planning to open another 30 to 40 in 2025.

Metro contacted Gail’s for comment.

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