The Prince of Wales has called for the protection of Britain’s pubs during a surprise visit to the Prince of Peckham pub in south London, where he pulled a pint of Jamaican lager and sampled jerk chicken. William expressed his delight, stating 'I could stay here forever,' after engaging with regulars and newcomers at the popular establishment.
The pub is fostering community spirit through its 'Chatty Patty' initiative, which encourages residents to connect over tea. Speaking to participants, William emphasised his passion for local pubs: 'I love pubs. I want to do as much as I can to support them because I love the community. We need to protect our pubs.'
William got behind the bar and poured a pint of Red Stripe under the watchful eye of Clement Ogbonnaya, who established the pub in 2017 as an inclusive 'public house for all.' After finishing, William commented 'not bad' and compared his effort to Ogbonnaya's, saying 'I think that’s pretty good.' Ogbonnaya later said, 'The pressure was on... He can’t beat me, but it wasn’t too far off.'
The prince also toured the nearby Pecan charity, which supports people experiencing loneliness and lack of job opportunities, and operates a food bank. He made a financial donation after burglars recently stole stock. William packed a box of groceries and told trustees he 'tried to work out how we could help' after the burglary.
Before leaving, William had a private lunch of jerk chicken and plantain, telling guests 'The jerk chicken, it blew my mind. I’m hoping Deliveroo can deliver this to Windsor.'
