In a city where the average pint now costs £6.75, Peckham’s The Olde Apple Tree stands apart, offering drinks for as little as £4.80 which you can pay with cash only.
This unassuming pub, tucked away on Sumner Road, has become a rare relic of London’s traditional boozer culture.
Its affordability and authenticity recently earned it a place in Time Out London’s top 10 pubs for 2024—an award that came as a shock to its long-time manager, Sean Mckeogh.
He told the News Shopper: “It’s surprising we’ve been rated one of the top. we’re in the backstreets of Peckham.”
Sean has witnessed first-hand the challenges of keeping a traditional pub alive.
The Olde Apple Tree is far from flashy. Its cracked wallpaper and leaky roof reflect years of wear, but it does have a charm.
It is unpretentious, offering a slice of traditional London that feels increasingly rare.
Inside, you are greeted by a saloon-style bar, and cosy festive decorations that feel a step back in time.
The space has a quiet, laid-back vibe, free from the noise and pretentiousness of trendier spots, making it the perfect place for those seeking a relaxed evening or a few goes at the pool table or dartboard.
It’s not just the £4.60 pint that harks back to simpler times—it’s the fact that it’s cash only. In an age where card readers are everywhere, this traditional Peckham pub sticks to the basics.
Sean shared his frustrations with the paradox many pubs face, despite the love for struggling venues like this: “I love when people fight to keep a pub, but they don’t choose to go to the pub”.
Once bustling with patrons, the pub now struggles to draw a crowd.
He explained: “This time a few years ago, you couldn’t get in the door on a Friday. Now, I could open at 4pm and close by 10.”
Over the decades, the pub and Sean has witnessed the decline of Peckham’s local pub scene.
Sean said: “There used to be 11 or 12 pubs around here. Now most are gone because they just couldn’t make money.”
The closure of nearby businesses and offices has also reduced footfall, leaving the pub to rely on a dwindling number of regulars, many of whom are budget-conscious.
At £4.60, The Olde Apple Tree offers one of the cheapest pints in London. For Sean, keeping prices low is a matter of staying connected to the community.
“A lot of our customers are on tight budgets,” he explained. “Raising prices would just drive them away. You can only charge so much before people stop coming in altogether.”
The pub’s current offerings focus on well-known staples like Stella and Fosters. While the owner has experimented with other beers, they didn’t sell well.
He added: “People just weren’t buying them. It’s better to stick with what regulars want.”
Still, the financial realities of running a pub in 2024 are tough. Repairs to the ageing building are costly, and the pub alone wouldn’t survive without Sean’s additional work in construction.
He added: “I’ve got a building firm that’s helped keep the place standing. It’s a pastime now. If we depended on the pub alone, it would have shut down long ago.”
The owner, supported by his wife and friendly staff member Lani Hart, works long hours to keep the doors open.
While some might question why The Olde Apple Tree was included in Time Out’s top 10 list, its charm lies in its simplicity.
This is not a pub for Instagrammable moments or craft ale enthusiasts. It’s for those who appreciate a proper pint in a no-frills environment.