The Demise of the British Pub

[rosstheboss]

It's easy to blame the so called 'breweries' and rightly so.

They're not breweries for a start - take Enterprise Inns for a start, basically they own bloody loads of pubs and tell you what you can sell and for how much, if you choose to get involved with them as a 'landlord'. Now normally (i.e. in a free house) a landlord has a lot of say in what his pub will serve and how it will function as a pub - decor/type of punter etc. These 'breweries' take all that away from the 'landlord' and so he becomes a manager, except without any of the perks.

These 'breweries' also fix prices - a barrel of Stella bought from Interbrew to you or I would cost approximately a third of what a 'brewery' will charge the pub.

It's bloody scandalous and profiteering and it's killing pubs.

 

[legrandefromage]

As above unless its a freehouse barrels are expensive and rent is even worse. A friend was being charged the same rent for a village pub as was charged for a busy town centre pub. He barely broke even and had tocall it a day after 18 months. That pub is now a house.

Even quality beers and lagers can be boought far cheaper than in any pub. I don't know what the strategy is herecorner shops buy their booze from a wholesaler, pubs have to buy through pub companies rather than breweries so why a pint cost so much is down to business rather than taxation/ duty.

 

[silverclaws]

Yes, I was surprised at that, the taxation being about £1.40 on a pint the rest is the costs plus profiteering, so in terms of cost it's not really the government killing the pub, it's breweries, but my overall impression of Britain of today, is get rich quick and sod the future sort of mentality, invest in nothing that does not reap dividends, we really are going down the pan.

But the fecking pub that annoyed me used to do beer festivals every six weeks, even a CAMRA pub, but not now, the music nights are off and even the quiz night gets poorly attended , certainly not what it was, but instead of valuing loyal custom the landlord in charge messes the locals about with stupid crap like sneakily shutting up when they want.

 

[Rampage]

I'm not sure why they would have to stay open for example on a Wednesday night no-one in so hwy not close. Or they could choose to stay open for maybe 2 customers who buy 1 pint every 30 minutes and earn 50p per hour profit?

If you don't like it maybe you should try it yourself. A few locals have in he pub next door to me, they are only there for 1 year at the most when they find out that running a pub isn't 1) as profitable as they told everyone it was, 2) they have to do some of the work themselves rather than paying other people to run it all the time, 3) it pays less than their previous job they gave up, 4) being behind the bar isn't as good as it looks from the other side 5) the brewery is screwing you for everything you have.

 

[David B]

Even quality beers and lagers can be boought far cheaper than in any pub.

A useful reference point here - Hop Back Brewery's Summer Lightning ale in mini-cask form, about 9 pints' worth and selling in my local supermarket for about 18 quid. Same beer is about £3.60 in my favourite city centre pub! Although on balance I'd prefer the latter option as the company and surroundings partly make up for the extra dosh spent*.

David

*Assuming anything gets spent at all, often my much better paid work colleagues will stand me a few pints without any obligation for me to do likewise.

 

[David B]

It's easy to blame the so called 'breweries' and rightly so.

They're not breweries for a start - take Enterprise Inns for a start, basically they own bloody loads of pubs and tell you what you can sell and for how much, if you choose to get involved with them as a 'landlord'. Now normally (i.e. in a free house) a landlord has a lot of say in what his pub will serve and how it will function as a pub - decor/type of punter etc. These 'breweries' take all that away from the 'landlord' and so he becomes a manager, except without any of the perks.

These 'breweries' also fix prices - a barrel of Stella bought from Interbrew to you or I would cost approximately a third of what a 'brewery' will charge the pub.

It's bloody scandalous and profiteering and it's killing pubs.

"Pubcos" have a notorious reputation within (and indeed outside of) the industry. Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns appear to be the worst offenders. Although not all brewers are squeaky clean; in terms of how it treats its landlords/landladies and bar staff, Samuel Smith's employs some, shall we say, "interesting" practices.

David

 

[silverclaws]

I understand how hard it is, my ex filled me in on that being an ex land lady, but the pub that annoyed me used to do so much and attract custom, now they can't be bothered and depend mostly on the fickle tourist who they bend over backwards to please. But the tourist being fickle are not consistent trade, to rely on the inconsistent in this day and age is just illogical, when there is a village full of walking beer drinkers now going elsewhere or staying at home, plus the fact this pub is the most expensive in the area ten pence more a pint.

 

[MiniNinjaRob]

I'd be happy to see all pubs go bust.

I wouldn't be happy as such as it'd make the landlords and workforce jobless. BUT I can't see why so many people are up in arms about the "demise" of the pub. So what? What's so great about drinking that we need special places to go to to do it?

I can't see what is so great about a place that encourages you to consume stuff which does you harm, costs an arm and a leg and makes you talk and act like a moron. I'm not anti-booze, I do have the odd drink now and then but I fail to see why alcohol plays such a big part in peoples lives.

I'd much rather have a nice cafe or restaurant replace the pub... mmmm cake...

 

[Neil]

And now we have the war on the so called 'binge drinker', the latest buzz word the shysters in government are using to clamp down further on what little remains to enjoy in the forms of leisure in our society, what is happening to our drinking institutions, what is at work if it is not temperance ideology ?

I'll start by saying I've never been a regular pub goer, or been that bothered about booze as I grew up. So I really only experience them for social gatherings, rather than any truly regular patronage.

As far as a lot of the "true" pubs are concerned, I do think it's a shame if they die out - but it doesn't strongly affect me - and if it does truly matter to some, then they should use them or lose them.

That's a world apart from some of the big-name chain pubs, though, where booze is truly catered for as cheaply as possible, and binge drinkers apparently encouraged (until it looks inconvenient or a poor advertisement.

See - you may see the government's focus on binge drinking as another assault on the common man - but from where I'm sat, it's a valid recognition of an aspect in society that does harm on multiple fronts. Truth be told, I've never understood that mindset that some have for consuming as much booze as they can, but it also being used as bragging rights or a badge of honour.

So where pubs are concerned, I'm largely ambivalent - I wouldn't deny people things they enjoy- but if so, it is beholden on them to recognise the challenges and not just sit at home whinging about their demise. Outside of things like the smoking ban, though, the pubs worse enemy seems to be their own industry.

 

[velomaniac]

Yesterday, Crammond Inn by Edinburgh, pint of Samual Smiths Dark Mild, normal price not its promotion price....................£1.54 :shock:

Most expensive pint available barely reached £3.

Plus its a lovely old timber beamed inn with a beer garden offering views over the firth of forth.

If they can do it and turn a profit why cant everyone else. Exploiting the masses are the publicans of this country. Cheaper beer equals more punters who'll buy other stuff like food etc which ultimately makes good business sense.

They were doing a good trade