UK Brewery Renames Four Pubs Over Concerns Of Racist Connotations

Wayne Shurvinton, the managing director of Greene King brewery – founded back in 1799 by Benjamin Greene, who owned highly profitable plantations – has decided to change the name of four of his pubs, amid concerns their names could have racial connotations.

Three of the pubs, in Sudbury in Suffolk, Bury St Edmunds, and Shinfield in Berkshire, were called ‘The Black Boy’, and the other one in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, was called ‘The Black’s Head’, and all four will have new names, but their signage is yet to be changed.

Although there are believed to be around 70 pubs called ‘Black Boy’ throughout the UK, nobody can officially point out where the name originally came from, but many seem to think the name dates back to coal-mining times.

Mr Shurvinton, explaining his decision 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”.

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

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

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