Comedian and television star Joe Lycett is supporting struggling hospitality businesses by funding £100 bar tabs at 30 pubs across England. The initiative, designed to help local venues facing mounting financial pressure, was officially announced during his Channel 4 program Live From The Lycett Arms.
Lycett explained that the gesture gives patrons an opportunity to have a drink on him while drawing public attention to the steady decline of traditional British watering holes. Expressing his sorrow over the ongoing challenges in the sector, Lycett noted that pubs are currently disappearing at an alarming rate.
Participating Venues and Celebrity Connections
The 30 participating venues span various regions across England. They feature notable local spots such as Dexter & Jones in Knutsford, Cheshire, and The Crown in Accrington, Lancashire.
The selection of The Crown-located on Whalley Road directly next to the Accrington Stanley Football Club-came about following a personal recommendation from actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, Lycett’s fellow contestant on BBC’s The Celebrity Traitors. Landlord Will Gilmartin, who has operated the establishment alongside his wife Emma for 16 years, admitted he had no prior knowledge of the selection until family members alerted him via television broadcast.
“It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s a great gesture from Joe and its amazing from Julie,” Will Gilmartin told BBC Radio Lancashire, noting that keeping the business afloat remains extremely difficult in the current economic climate.
The Wider Pub Closure Crisis
Lycett’s campaign arrives amidst heightened industry concern regarding the economic viability of British pubs. During his television broadcast, the comedian highlighted that pubs are closing at a rate of roughly two a day, a situation that he described as making him very sad.
Trade bodies have similarly raised alarms over the state of the sector. Data from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) underscores these financial pressures. It points to rising operational costs, business rates, and broader economic headwinds impacting independent pubs, craft beer bars, and community staples across the United Kingdom.
By putting money behind the bar at local institutions, Lycett aims to encourage community members to step through their local doors, support neighborhood businesses, and keep vital revenue circulating within local economies.
