Pub firm Greene King says it has seen an average 26 applicants for every pub for let in the first six months of this year, which is said to be boosted by England’s thrilling run in the World Cup12:56, 15 Aug 2026Pub giant Greene King has seen a record number of people wanting to become landlords - despite the crisis gripping the industry and large scale closures.‌During the first six months of 2026, it received 1,449 applications – a 26% increase compared with the same period in 2025.‌And each pub available to let in the first six months of the year generated 26 applications on average.‌The rush of wannabe-landlords and landladies comes in the face of a well publicised battle face by many ealier running pubs, wth 2,000 closures since 2020.The summer heatwaves, combined with the England’s thrilling run in the World Cup, has delivered a much needed boost to the nation’s watering holes.‌However, industry chiefs say it does not make up for a host of other challenges, from soaring wage and energy costs to changing customer habits, and cheap supermarket competition.Prime Minister Andy Burnham has sought to help by promising to reduce business rates for pubs by 20% in a first step to further support the sector.The Mirror has long championed the industry's cause with its Your Pub Needs You campaign. Greene King, which has around 2,500 pubs, restaurants and hotels, says nearly half of prospective publicans had not run a pub before.‌The majority of Greene King pubs available to let during the first half of the year were in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Oxfordshire. However, data shows demand has been widespread across the country, with almost a quarter of applicants looking for opportunities to run pubs in London and the South East and a further 22% seeking pubs in the North West and Yorkshire. More than 10% expressed interested in Wales and the South West.One in five said they wanted to run pubs exclusively in towns and city centres, while 14% were only interested in rural or coastal locations.Charlie Brodie, 29, took over running the Royal George pub in Shildon, County Durnham, after three years delivering cars nationwide, and also previously worked as a teaching assistant for a short spell. However, he also has experience of working in pubs in the past.‌“I have been here for six months,” says Charlie, who completed a 12 week training programme with owner Proper Pubs. “It’s good to get to know all the customers when they come in.”Dan Robinson, managing director of Greene King Pub Partners, said: “It’s incredibly encouraging to see record numbers of people wanting to run their own pubs in partnership with Greene King - demonstrating continued appeal and trust in this model. Running a pub is an incredibly rewarding opportunity, especially for those looking to build their own business.‌“We’re fully committed to giving our partners the support, investment and expertise they need to succeed, so they can thrive in their local communities. Alongside additional support from the new Government, there is no better time to run a pub with Greene King.”Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “It’s no surprise people want to run a pub, because who wouldn’t want to be at the heart of the community, pulling a delicious pint, and being part of a unique and brilliant British tradition.“What’s important is that people can make a success of their pubs which is why we want the Prime Minister to build on his brilliant support for pubs by delivering permanently lower business rates bills, cutting beer duty and VAT, and reducing the regulatory burden our locals face.”‌Priyesh Bathia, a finalist on the most recent series of TV hit shiow The Apprentice, has swapped Lord Sugar’s boardroom for the bar after opening a pub in south London in June.Bathia, who worked in sales and marketing at accountancy giant PwC before entering the show, and two business partners have taken over running The Elephant & Barrel in Stockwell.‌“I went university, did a degree in maths and economics, and then the real thing of getting a corporate job, and that was it,” he says. “But I always had a passion to be in the hospitality industry.”One reason for going on The Apprentice was to develop his business plan to transform a small mobile cocktail bar business he was running at the same time as being at PwC into a bigger business.“Going on The Apprentice made me realise I didn’t want to go back into my corporate life.”Article continues belowBathia says the pub, which features a lifesize robotic elephant that squirts water, has been very busy since opening. Given his business idea, it also serves a range of cocktails.“The hardest part is all the different moving parts that you need to manage, whether it be the kitchen to the beer, to the front of house,” he adds.