A Gloucestershire landlord has helped launch a new national campaign group calling for fairer treatment of Britain’s independent pubs.
Luke Honeychurch, who runs The Hog at Horsley, is a founding member of the Independent Pub Alliance (IPA) — a new coalition of independent publicans, hospitality workers, researchers and supporters pushing for evidence-based public policy that better supports community pubs and small brewers.
The Alliance argues that current tax, regulatory and policy frameworks place independent pubs at a structural disadvantage, favouring large-scale operators, standardisation and corporate efficiency over local community value.
“Pubs aren’t just businesses — they’re part of our social infrastructure,” a spokesperson for the Alliance said. “They matter economically, socially and culturally, and policy should treat them that way.”
The IPA focuses on independent, community-rooted pubs and freehouses that it says are not fully represented by existing trade bodies. However, the group stresses that its mission goes beyond saving individual businesses. It argues that pubs form a vital part of the UK’s shared cultural heritage, providing open, secular “third spaces” that reduce isolation, support informal care and help anchor community life.
“Alcohol isn’t the purpose of pubs — people are,” the Alliance said. “Responsibly run pubs are places of moderation, connection and care, not just consumption. You don’t have to drink alcohol to value pubs — they’re for everyone.”
The Alliance also highlights the role of small and independent brewers in sustaining diversity, regional character and local economies, warning that increasing homogenisation risks hollowing out communities.
“Sameness and scale may suit balance sheets, but they hollow out community life,” the group said. “Once living pub culture is destroyed, it can’t be rebuilt.”
The Independent Pub Alliance is not a trade body and does not represent tied estates, managed chains or multinational operators. It is not funded by pub companies, brewers or corporate lobbyists, and says its work is independent, transparent and grounded in evidence and lived experience.
While the Alliance will work alongside existing organisations where there is agreement, it says it will openly challenge policies it believes prioritise large commercial interests over the public good.
“Fair pub policy isn’t about nostalgia — it’s about community welfare,” the Alliance said. “When an independent pub closes, we don’t just lose a business; we lose a piece of community life.”
The IPA is encouraging independent publicans to support the campaign by following its work on social media and is welcoming interest from media outlets nationwide.
