Publican Terry Lennon, signed a 20- year lease on the Dorchester Arms, in Bevois Valley, Southampton, in 1992, but has seen his turnover halved.
He blamed current pub owner Enterprise Inns for his declining fortunes saying it offered him less support, fewer discounts and less discount offers than rival firms.
Mr Lennon said his lease tied him to buy beer from Enterprise, but it was as much as a third more than he could otherwise buy on the wholesale market, such as for his free house, Lennon’s, over the road.
He said that, at £3 for a pint of lager, he could not compete with pubs chains such as JD Weatherspoon who were offering pints for £1.
Mr Lennon said he was still turning a profit but added: “This is not a business to be going into.”
A spokesman for Enterprise Inns said individual pubs should take such issues up with regional managers.
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