Skip to content

Greene King Black Boy pubs renamed in 'anti-racist' move

Greene King Greene King beer pump and glasses of beer.Greene King
Greene King has changed the name of four of its pubs

A brewery has renamed four of its pubs over concerns they had racist connotations.

Greene King has changed the names of three pubs called The Black Boy, and another called The Black's Head.

Managing director Wayne Shurvinton said there was a perception the names were "linked with racism".

Dr Halima Begum, of The Runnymede Trust, welcomed the news, saying the names had been a continual reminder of a "history of oppression".

The Black Boy pubs - in Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury in Suffolk, and Shinfield in Berkshire - along with the Black's Head, in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, have been given new names, but Greene King says it will take a while for the signage to be changed.

It is believed there are about 70 pubs called The Black Boy in the UK, and there remains no consensus on where the name comes from.

Links to the mining industry and a nickname for King Charles II have both been cited as possibilities.

Another theory relates to Native American figures placed outside premises to sell tobacco.

Mr Shurvinton said "despite the obscure origins" there was a perception the names were "linked with racism, which is why we knew we had to take this step if we wanted to continue on our journey to become a truly anti-racist organisation".

Presentational grey line

What's in a name?

Google The Black Boy, ShinfieldGoogle
The Black Boy in Shinfield is one of four pubs getting a new name
  • The pub in Bury St Edmunds is now called The West Gate
  • The Sudbury pub is now called The Lady Elizabeth
  • The pub in Shinfield is now called The Shinfield Arms
  • The Derbyshire pub is now called The Quarryman
Presentational grey line

New names were decided for the pubs following online polls, in which more than 7,000 people took part.

Last year, the pub chain apologised for its historical links to the slave trade. It was founded in 1799 by Benjamin Greene, who owned highly profitable plantations.

Greene King said it was working on plans to invest in black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, after consulting with staff.

Dr Begum, chief executive of racial equality charity The Runnymede Trust, said Greene King should be acknowledged for taking steps regarding its founder's exploitation of black people and for being open about its historical links to slavery.

She said: "The company has made several symbolic efforts to address its founder's legacy of oppression, not least by diversifying its hiring practices and through its work with the Slavery Museum in Liverpool - but is the renaming of a few pubs enough to make amends? No. Not in the slightest.

"No doubt members of BAME communities walk past these hostelries and read the names above the door every day. They are essentially having the history of oppression rubbed in their faces on a daily basis.

"We should not single out Greene King. Many companies that remain household names today profited from the unconscionable ownership and exploitation of black people."

Presentational grey line

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].