London’s newest lesbian pub needs your help

A new local in Camberwell hopes to provide an answer to London’s serious lack of lesbian spaces

BY DAISY DEMPSEY, IMAGE VIA INSTAGRAM (@DOROTHYS.LDN)

Walk past Dorothy’s later this year and, at first glance, it might look like any other South London local. A “proper boozer”, as cofounders Beth and Molly say, complete with a beer garden, pub quizzes, Sunday roasts, and football on the screens.

But look a little closer, and you’ll find something London has precious little of: a permanent pub built by and for the sapphic community.

Like many queer businesses, Dorothy’s is an independent labour of love. The couple are investing their own life savings into the project, but opening a pub is expensive. A six-month rent deposit, a full renovation, and countless hidden costs quickly add up.

Before the doors have even opened, Dorothy’s has already captured people’s imaginations. More than 250 people have backed the pub’s crowdfunding campaign, with supporters buying over 100 drinks in advance and offering everything from bookkeeping to painting and decorating.

For founders Molly and Beth, the response has been overwhelming.

“Whilst money is vital in opening a venue, for us, the crowdfunder is more than simply raising funds,” they say. “It’s seeing that people believe in our dream and, above all, showing us that more sapphic spaces are desperately needed in London.”

“We can’t express how much everyone’s generosity has warmed our hearts. Most of our supporters are people we don’t know personally, and it’s blowing our minds that so many people are investing financially and emotionally in Dorothy’s.”

The building itself hasn’t operated as a pub for around five years. While the character remains, almost everything else needs attention.

“The bones are there,” they say. “But there’s a significant amount of work involved in returning it to its original purpose as a proper boozer.”

The to-do list is extensive. First, repairing and decorating the structure, then upgrading the toilets and replacing the furniture, improving the bar, and transforming a neglected outdoor space into the beer garden Molly has always dreamed of.

“When we first saw the venue, the garden contained a mountain of rubbish and rubble,” they explain, “It was totally unusable.”

Perhaps the biggest challenge is the kitchen. The previous one has been condemned entirely, meaning it needs to be rebuilt from scratch. But for Molly and Beth, that’s also one of the most exciting parts of the project.

Rather than simply serving food, they want Dorothy’s kitchen to become a platform for queer chefs through cooking residencies, supper clubs, and collaborations with queer food businesses.

They’re also doing as much of the renovation as they can themselves, sourcing second-hand equipment wherever possible and calling on the skills of the community around them.

“We always say, if you need something done well, get a lesbian to do it,” they laugh. 

The idea for Dorothy’s started, like many good ideas, over drinks at their local.

“Independently, we’d both always dreamed of running our own business and, specifically, opening a pub,” they explain. “When we got together, we started talking about opening a sapphic pub, but for a long time it remained one of those dreams discussed over a glass of wine.”

Eventually, they stopped waiting for someone else to create the space they wanted.

“We became tired of complaining that there are limited permanent sapphic spaces in and around London and decided to do something about it.”

The pub’s name is a tribute to London’s lesbian history. “Dorothy’s” is a reference to the legendary Gateways Club, where “Dorothy” was once the password used to gain entry.

“We wanted it to be a subtle nod to Gateways and to honour the people who paved the way and made it possible for us to open an openly sapphic space. Spaces like Dorothy’s have never been ‘just pubs’,” they say. “They’re places where people find friendships, relationships, confidence, creativity and a sense of belonging.”

Their ambition comes at a time when queer hospitality faces significant challenges. While lesbian club nights, sports groups, book clubs, and one-off events continue to flourish across the UK, permanent venues remain rare.

“There has been a genuine resurgence in lesbian and sapphic nightlife,” they say. “Events are incredibly valuable, but they’re different from having somewhere you can visit on a random Wednesday evening. 

“A permanent venue offers continuity,” they continue. “You can go there alone, meet a friend after work, watch football, have dinner, read a book in the afternoon or end up dancing late into the evening. You don’t have to wait for an event to feel connected to your community.”

Recent closures of beloved queer venues, including Damsel Collective, Goldie Saloon, and Camp in Margate, have demonstrated just how difficult the hospitality landscape has become. Every closure represents more than another empty building.

“When one closes, a community loses a place where memories and culture have been built,” Molly says.  

For them, Dorothy’s is their answer to that loss. “We feel hopeful about the energy surrounding sapphic nightlife, but we don’t think the need has been met yet,” they say.

“Dorothy’s is our attempt to turn that energy into something permanent: a neighbourhood pub that people don’t have to save for a special occasion, but can make part of their everyday lives.”

Dorothy’s is currently crowdfunding to help complete renovations ahead of opening in Camberwell. Supporters can donate to the campaign or purchase drinks to enjoy once the pub opens its doors.

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