About Back behind the bar: pub landladies of east london

Charo Havermans

Traditionally, pubs have been seen as male-dominated spaces, with women only beginning to increasingly populate and own them in the 20th century. However women have been central to pubs for centuries; for most of history they were front and centre of the processes of brewing and selling beer. There are countless tales of the women who earned a living running their own alehouses, and most likely a myriad more whose stories have not been preserved by history. It is about time we celebrate the amazing women currently running our most iconic pubs, and raise a glass to all those who came before them.

Back behind the Bar: Pub Landladies of East London is a collaborative project between East End Women’s Museum and pub historian Charo Havermans, sharing a kaleidoscopic vision of what it is like for women to be back behind the bar of some of the most iconic pubs in East London. This new series aims to refocus the dominant narrative, prioritising the role of women in pubs once more, and to invite dialogue especially about the pressures placed on community pubs. Based on a series of extensive oral history interviews, you will be able to read, watch and listen to the incredible stories of landladies in East London right here.

Above left: Photo inside the Queen Adelaide pub. Above right: Photo inside The George Tavern.

The EEWM is also planning some exciting in-person events to mark the project, and we encourage you all to drink in and discover some history in the making by visiting the fantastic community pubs run by these inspiring women.

Sharing these undervalued histories will always be a work in progress. We very much welcome feedback, comments and suggestions. And if you know someone who should be part of this project, please let us know!

Here is a snippet of one of the interviews. You’re listening to Pauline Forster of The George Tavern in Shadwell, talking about one of her many battles to save the pub. 

Above left: Pauline Forster of The George Tavern. Above right: Photo inside the upstairs of The George Tavern.