A quiet revival: what the reopening of pubs across the UK tells us about the hospitality sector

If you were to have only listened to the headlines so far this year, it might seem like the British pub is facing its twilight years. Reports of closures, financial pressures, and changing consumer habits paint a gloomy picture, and suggest that the traditional pub is falling in popularity.

There’s no denying that the hospitality sector is facing serious cost pressures and operational challenges, including rising labour costs and operational expenses. But, if you step away from the headlines and look more closely at activity in the pub sector, you'll find another story quietly unfolding - one of resilience, renewal, and community pride.

In our recent Pubs & Restaurants Market Review, we revealed that approximately 86% of the pubs we sold in the first half of 2025 were for continued use as a pub. And, in the 12 months to July 2025, we sold 46 closed pubs across the country, 35 of which were to reopen under new ownership and be reinvigorated as new hospitality venues. This is evidence that, despite some pubs closing their doors, we are seeing new venues emerge and flourish.

Take East Anglia, as an example. We’ve seen a number of pubs that had ceased trading being brought back to life - not as relics, but as cherished hubs of community spirit.

The Dragoon in Cambridgeshire is one such pub. After sitting shuttered for over five years, this historic pub is now set to welcome locals once again, thanks to a new tenant we secured. Earlier this year, The Dragoon was given Asset of Community Value (ACV) status, a powerful endorsement of its significance to the local area. You can find out more about ACVs in this article, written by our Regional Director for the South, Richard Wood, for the Morning Advertiser.

The lease for the pub has been sold to Vijay Sharma and Dr Sravya, who plan to re-open with a focus on high-quality food as well as servicing the local drinking trade. You can read more about their acquisition here.

Then there’s The Greyhound in Framsden, previously known as The Doberman - a name that had faded into memory during its almost decade-long closure. After receiving a grant from the government's Community Ownership Fund (COF), villagers bought the premises to restore and reopen, to serve village residents once again.

And perhaps the most well-known revival comes from The George in Wickham Market, the only pub in the village, which was devastated by fire in 2013. The Grade II-listed pub, which dates back to the 16^th century, has now reopened under community ownership, fuelled by collective will and local generosity.

So, while pub closures might dominate the headlines, they don’t capture the full picture. At Christie & Co we are seeing a high number of pubs across the UK being sold to continue trading as pubs, as well as closed sites being purchased, invested in, and reopened. This shines a light on what a public house still means today: not just a place to grab a pint, but a place to gather, to socialise, and to belong.

To find out more about the pub market in East Anglia, contact Hugo Fairbanks Weston at Hugo.FairbanksWeston@christie.com or +44 7764 241 303.