The end of the pub as we know it?

[billyg]

Thousands shutting each month.

Cost of 24 bottles of Becks in Asda - £10

Cost of 24 bottles of Becks in a pub - about £50

Government using the catch all tax lever to try and squeeze binge drinking - (expect your pint to cost just that little bit more when you go out tonight)

How we've got to a situation where we put the pressure for policing access to booze on a shopkeeper/checkout assistant rather than a trained and experienced landlord is quite ludicrous.

How about we make booze cost a fortune in a supermarket and make it less expensive in the pub? Every punter gets scrutinised and hoodies and youth have their supply cut off at source. You may be able to get your sisters boyfriend to buy you a slab of beer from Tesco but you can't do that in a pub.

The net result is pubs are dying and along with it one of the informal cultural institutions that makes Britain Britain and not McAnywhere.

With utility prices rising and interest rates on an up curve everyone is forced to look again at ostentatious consumption and with the price differencials listed above a few pints in the pub falls smack bang into the list of things to cut.

What do you all think?

 

[medwayjon]

I reckon you have a good idea here bill. The one flaw is that a lot off the little sscrotes around here buy from the blokes who do the regular france runs.

 

[Parmo]

I bought 20 cigs and 4 pints and 4 halfs last night and that was £25 down the p***er, my local has increased a pint price by 40p in the last few months, totally shocking, we will get to a stage where its not pubs but crappy resturants that allow screaming kids to run wild but forbid me to smoke... grrr... such is life.

 

[shanker]

The last time I was in the UK I was drinking pints of Courage Director's for £1.55 in the local JD Wetherspoons. Another pub was selling the same pint for £2.25! You can't blame the government for that.

 

[billyg]

The last time I was in the UK I was drinking pints of Courage Director's for £1.55 in the local JD Wetherspoons. Another pub was selling the same pint for £2.25! You can't blame the government for that.

Indeed not but round here the 'Spoons are filled with fighting dole cheque hangers all day and then bouncers on the door and bleeting Shazzas by night.

Maybe it's a just a bad rumour but I believe that 'Spoons and it various immitators offer their beer so cheap by buying the unsold out of date stuff from the breweries at knock down price. A tied pub or even a decent independent just can't compete with this kind of buying power.


If you like a fight with your watery stale pint and reheated dogburger then it's fine. A pub? - not by my yardstick. The future of public drinking? - not for me.

Looking for discrepencies in pub prices still doesn't address the greater (and increasing) one of obtaining booze for 50p a pint in a supermarket. Even a 'spoons can't beat that.

Increases in tax will just be swallowed by a supermarket and put down as a loss leader- the landlord can't and looses another dozen punters.

It's just not right

 

[madandra]

Just walk up the garggle isle in Asda/Tesco ... any super market and you will see guys in their 20's 30's and 40's stocking up for a session. Get them out the house and into the pubs and that will stop them from blowing up their livers.

 

[theeaglehunter]

The Wetherspoons in Cambridge (the Regal it's called) is exactly as Billy G described.

 

[birdieman]

A lot of pubs in the UK, particularly where younger (<30) people drink just feel tense like they're waiting to kick off as soon a someone bumps someone else.
In contrast whenever you go anywhere in Europe this hostile atmos ceases to exist and it feels relaxed and punters don't get out of their heads in a half hour.
Pub culture in UK can be pretty awful but there are still a lot of great pubs too.
Some of the best priced beer seems to be in the Golf Club bar, as good a place as anywhere for a few?

 

[GB72]

I am lucky in that I have a great village pub 200 yards from my front door. No problems, no agro, good beer, nice food, absolute heaven. Great local crowd so always know someone in there and no worries about getting home afterwards (pub even has a wheelbarrow to assist those who may have had a couple too many).

 

[evita4]

Beer three times the price of the supermarket, can't have a smoke and now of all things a certain pub chain is banning "sexist banter". Hardly surprising people are not venturing to the local boozer. Wouldn't want to be in licensee trade in this country at the moment, far too many going to the wall every week around here.

 

[shanker]

In contrast whenever you go anywhere in Europe this hostile atmos ceases to exist and it feels relaxed and punters don't get out of their heads in a half hour.
Pub culture in UK can be pretty awful but there are still a lot of great pubs too

Sorry Birdieman but I live in a provincial Spanish city (pop. 140,000) and at the weekend it can be mayhem in the town centre. Town centre residents are unable to sleep and have posted videos in the local press of youngsters pissing, vomiting and breaking glasses in the street. Recently a regular golf partner told me that a friend of his daughter (a 15 year-old girl) had been taken to the local hospital under the influence of you know what. Not so long ago I was up and out at 7.30 a.m. for Sunday golf and almost had to step over a comatose youth on the pavement. We're not the only ones!

 

[birdieman]

Surprised at that Shanker, never been to Spain so can't comment....sure it isn't Brits on holiday?

 

[shanker]

Going back to Billy's original post, I would agree that it would be sad if the BEST British pubs were to disappear. Have to say, however, that I think that many of them are crap and too expensive. It's certainly the case where I visit in England (Dorset). There are about 10 pubs within 100 yards of Weymouth railway station and I'd avoid the lot!
I'd prefer to buy a bottle of wine or cans to drink at home.

 

[TonyN]

Prefere to drink in the civil defense club now. Good game of snooker, place full of seniors with bags of respect. No youths skinning up in the toilets or havin a dabble in the corner. Pints are still sub two quid and it aint like a bloody disco. Dont get me wrong, am only 23 me self and like a good knee's up but this is about the best pub atmosphere ya can get around here. Unless ya go to a pub out of the way, but then you have to drive so whats the point!

Much prefere to have a few pints and a couple of ammeretto and cokes in doors watchin match of the day!

 

[HTL]

TonyN put a JD with you amaretto and coke and its a Ferrari Jack, its much nicer!

I worked in bars throughout my time at coll/uni and am sick of the price of booze and the hostile environment., I much prefer to go to a adults only restaurant with no kids screaming/running about and spend £100 + on the two of us. If I do drink during the week I do it at home, the nearest pub to me charges £4.75 for a mangers!! £3.39 for Guinness!!

 

[shanker]

£3.39 for Guinness!!

You must be kidding! What kind of salaries do you have to earn to live decently in your neighbourhood? I appreciate that Surrey is one of the most expensive areas in the land but I wonder what Homer Simpson would pay for a pint around Ascot!

 

[medwayjon]

I pay £2.15 for a magners at my club.

In the pubs around here it ranges from £2.29 (wetherspoons) to £3.95 in the most expensive place in rochester.

As for £3.39 that isn't too far out of bed, a lot of boozers down here want £2.90 so for Surrey, that isn't too shabby.

 

[RGuk]

Around here, pubs are in BIG trouble. The only places making any good money are those concentrating on food.
Interesting to note, the original founder of Yates' (who I met) made £50m selling up the "wine lodge" business, and there is one in town. It's closing down, as are quite a few others, but the Wetherspoon stands tall and will not be broken. We are a cheap-ish area, but I think that people are giving up on £15 trips to enjoy a few beers. Having said all this, we have just had a Starbucks arrive in town (pity for Costa and Nero, which were just about making a go of it (I know one of the managers)) and folks around here don't mind spending a tenner on 4 coffees....I know where I'd spend my readies....

 

[shanker]

and folks around here don't mind spending a tenner on 4 coffees....I know where I'd spend my readies....

You'd spend them in the pub, of course? So would I. Interesting that the Wetherspoon's does well where you live. It does a roaring trade where I go to in England, especially with food. They also banned smoking before the government did. Great move, if you ask me. Why should we have to inhale the filthy fag fumes of other punters?