Tucked away down a quiet side street off southeast London is The Royal George pub. The décor hasn’t changed since the 1980s and the bar staff remember the names of the regulars. On any given afternoon, the pub is quiet, except for the tinkling of glasses and low chatter of the customers. Many of the sounds we’re accustomed to in pubs are missing: no music, no TVs, no fruit machines.
These are just some of the defining features of Samuel Smith pubs, of which the Royal George is one. The most notable feature is the signage on the walls announcing that this pub, like all others in the chain, is a “digital detox” pub – no phones are allowed.
According to Samuel Smith Old Brewery, “[its] pubs are havens from the digital world… Friendly pub conversation is encouraged (no swearing!) together with the responsible enjoyment of our beers.”
While the pub and its policies may seem archaic or out of step with reality, it may also be a vision of the future.
“A digital detox is needed in this digitally-saturated society we live in”
The Offline Club in the Netherlands, for example, requires that people hand over their phones before they can enter and buy a coffee, according to a recent article in The Guardian. The article argues that the Dutch establishment may have lessons for the rest of the world about how we should be spending less time on our phones and more time connecting with other people.
“Everyone talks about the negative effects of screen time and says that they are spending more time on their phones than they want to,” said Ilya Kneppelhout, one of the Offline Club’s founders, to The Guardian. “The world is screaming for less screen time and more connection.”
Less screen time is the order of the day at The Royal George. Phones have been pocketed in favour of conversation.
“When you go to The Royal George you are tripping over people and conversations. It’s like the town square of New Cross,” says pub local Gilbert Bellshaw, 22. “When I go [to the pub] I don’t want to watch TikTok videos, I want to enjoy a drink and a conversation and, crucially, meet new people.
“We spend so much time cultivating our humour through online videos, and phones have become a hindrance to encouraging conversation,” he adds. “So a policy that encourages a digital detox is needed in this digitally-saturated society we live in. You might just go in for one pint, but you come away from this drinking hole with more than just a beer buzz — you have new stories, new contacts and new interpretations of life.”
Despite the enthusiasm of regulars, it would seem that Samuel Smith pubs are in dire financial straits, suggesting that its supposedly “restrictive” rules are unpopular with consumers. This is further supported by a 2022 viral video by comedian Joel Lycett where he criticises the brewery’s policies.
“When you go to The Royal George you are tripping over people and conversations. It is like the town square of New Cross”
However, there is plenty of support for the benefits of time spent away from our screens by health experts. Places like The Royal George are using the lack of in-pub screen time to generate a sense of community.
Under the watchful eye of landlady, Natasha Evans, The Royal George has played host to makers markets, Morris dancers and tarot readings. It has become an art gallery, a concert hall, and has even hosted a wedding.
“I am absolutely blown away by the fact that in less than two years, we’ve turned this cowboy-showdown-record-scratch pub into a joyous hub for our friends, our community and queer love of all kinds,” says Natasha. “Not every pub has to adopt a concept like this,” says Gilbert, “but what is needed is for people to put the phones away.”
