has Labour killed the great English pub
Discussion
In a city centre pub last night with two pub owners, the city centre pub owner said that he's takings were down 55% since the smoking ban, the other a owner of a thatched food/drink country pub said his takings this year matched 1987, both are near retirement age but said in 10 years there will be 30% of the pubs there are today..a little drastic if you ask me
It could be the smoking ban or it could be that peoples disposable income has slowly been eaten away until food and fuel make up the majority of peoples budgets. I used to go to the pub 4 or 5 nights a week, now I haven't been for a proper night out since christmas. I can't justify chucking 30-40 quid away to wake up with a headache anymore, nothing to do with the smoking ban (which I was against anyway, even as a non smoker). People are going to the supermarket, buying cheap wine/beer and sitting infront of their TVs with the latest offering from lovefilm....
Disposable income.Some people will conveniently blame the smaoking ban, but the reason is almost certainly a combination of several things happening at the same time: very high increases in rents in managed/leased pubs; large increases in the cost and retail price of pub beers; the smoking ban; cheap alcohol from retailers and rapidly declining disposable income (which is in my opinion the most disastrous when combined with the others).
Here in town there will be at least one pub less by the end of the year.
Here in town there will be at least one pub less by the end of the year.
I think the smoking ban affects some places worse than other, it depends if you've got room for a smoking area or not.
Pub prices probably as much a problem as the smoking ban.
My girlfriends glass of red wine went up 50p a glass overnight at our local, blame the government if you like but I think that is down to the pub owner/breweries greed.
Pub prices probably as much a problem as the smoking ban.
My girlfriends glass of red wine went up 50p a glass overnight at our local, blame the government if you like but I think that is down to the pub owner/breweries greed.
Most of the pubs around my way, even the traditional drinky type pubs, seem to have benefited from the smoking ban but business is still suffering.
The death of real ales at the hands of lager, which can be bought far more cheaply in the supermarket than in pubs, hasn't helped; nor has the credit crunch or the constant "alcohol is bad" messages coming from the medical establishments. I think the single thing that's hurt pubs most though, is the fact that drink driving is now considered unacceptable.
The death of real ales at the hands of lager, which can be bought far more cheaply in the supermarket than in pubs, hasn't helped; nor has the credit crunch or the constant "alcohol is bad" messages coming from the medical establishments. I think the single thing that's hurt pubs most though, is the fact that drink driving is now considered unacceptable.
plus all pubs in the uk nowadays seem to need at least 12 different draught beers, a selection of wines, fridges full of bottled beers, more fridges full of alcopops, a rack of 30 different spirits, shelves full of amusing 'shooters' and god knows what else
that can't be good for keeping costs down
that can't be good for keeping costs down
kambites said:
Most of the pubs around my way, even the traditional drinky type pubs, seem to have benefited from the smoking ban but business is still suffering.
The death of real ales at the hands of lager, which can be bought far more cheaply in the supermarket than in pubs, hasn't helped; nor has the credit crunch or the constant "alcohol is bad" messages coming from the medical establishments. I think the single thing that's hurt pubs most though, is the fact that drink driving is now considered unacceptable.
Whilst you do make a valid point, I hope you'll agree that drink driving being seen as unacceptable is a good thing despite its (admittedly sad) negative inpact on pubs?The death of real ales at the hands of lager, which can be bought far more cheaply in the supermarket than in pubs, hasn't helped; nor has the credit crunch or the constant "alcohol is bad" messages coming from the medical establishments. I think the single thing that's hurt pubs most though, is the fact that drink driving is now considered unacceptable.
crofty1984 said:
Whilst you do make a valid point, I hope you'll agree that drink driving being seen as unacceptable is a good thing despite its (admittedly sad) negative inpact on pubs?
Yes, driving drunk is obviously stupid. However, I'm not sure it's worthy of the attention it gets - there are lots of equally dangerous things people do when driving that don't get half the publicity. That's a different (and oft repeated) discussion though.Edited by kambites on Wednesday 18th June 09:24
I'm not sure it's just the smoking ban (my local has seen a fairly big increase in people since the ban) but for a non-food pub that had a lot of older smoking regulars I'm sure it's hitting them.
However as has been said already people are not as well off as they were and money goes on the essentials first and a pint at the local turns into a four pack from Tesco and a night in front of the telly.
However as has been said already people are not as well off as they were and money goes on the essentials first and a pint at the local turns into a four pack from Tesco and a night in front of the telly.
People have other s
t to occupy them nowadays. No longer the familar drudge of half a dozen blokes walking to the pub at 7pm day in day out cos there is nowhere else to go and nothing else to do.
30 years ago on a wet wednesday your choices were cinema or pub - thats not so true today.
t to occupy them nowadays. No longer the familar drudge of half a dozen blokes walking to the pub at 7pm day in day out cos there is nowhere else to go and nothing else to do.30 years ago on a wet wednesday your choices were cinema or pub - thats not so true today.
MilnerR said:
It could be the smoking ban or it could be that peoples disposable income has slowly been eaten away until food and fuel make up the majority of peoples budgets. I used to go to the pub 4 or 5 nights a week, now I haven't been for a proper night out since christmas. I can't justify chucking 30-40 quid away to wake up with a headache anymore, nothing to do with the smoking ban (which I was against anyway, even as a non smoker). People are going to the supermarket, buying cheap wine/beer and sitting infront of their TVs with the latest offering from lovefilm....
Snap.I would agree. Its a combination of factors and I would say the out of town country pubs will close first. Luckily were a town centre pub and at a weekend the town is still full. I was driving to Mid Wales yesterday and there were loads of pubs in tiny villages desparately trying to entice people to stop for a pint with large Blackboards, I wouldn't like to own half of those.
im said:
People have other st to occupy them nowadays. No longer the familar drudge of half a dozen blokes walking to the pub at 7pm day in day out cos there is nowhere else to go and nothing else to do.
30 years ago on a wet wednesday your choices were cinema or pub - thats not so true today.
No, everyone locks themselves at home infront of Celebtity Big bt to occupy them nowadays. No longer the familar drudge of half a dozen blokes walking to the pub at 7pm day in day out cos there is nowhere else to go and nothing else to do.30 years ago on a wet wednesday your choices were cinema or pub - thats not so true today.
ks Fame Addict, and so local communities, that used to have a pub at the heart of them, vanish.Still, that is the socialist dream, isn't it?
If you really want to go out, you'll still go out, smoker or not
I rarely bother anymore largely because I've grown out of the pub crawl on either a Friday or Saturday, and town is full of idiots, who become bigger idiots when they've had more beer than they can handle
Labour may have done something with reducing the amount of people who go to pubs, but possibly kept the wrong people out of them
I rarely bother anymore largely because I've grown out of the pub crawl on either a Friday or Saturday, and town is full of idiots, who become bigger idiots when they've had more beer than they can handle
Labour may have done something with reducing the amount of people who go to pubs, but possibly kept the wrong people out of them
Bing o said:
im said:
People have other st to occupy them nowadays. No longer the familar drudge of half a dozen blokes walking to the pub at 7pm day in day out cos there is nowhere else to go and nothing else to do.
30 years ago on a wet wednesday your choices were cinema or pub - thats not so true today.
No, everyone locks themselves at home infront of Celebtity Big bt to occupy them nowadays. No longer the familar drudge of half a dozen blokes walking to the pub at 7pm day in day out cos there is nowhere else to go and nothing else to do.30 years ago on a wet wednesday your choices were cinema or pub - thats not so true today.
ks Fame Addict, and so local communities, that used to have a pub at the heart of them, vanish.Still, that is the socialist dream, isn't it?
Must be just round your area - TV ratings are down on 30 years ago when a Saturday nights morcombe and wise would pull in 20 million viewers.
Nowadays there's bowling arenas, Club bars, sports bars, (yes cinema), Coffee shops, Themed Restaurants, Pool Halls, theatres, various activity events ie karting etc...
I know most of these were around 30 years ago but they've upped their game tremendously - and of course pub prices are the nail in the coffin.
ETA And I agree with Andyquantums last line - it too is a factor.
Edited by im on Wednesday 18th June 09:59
10 Pence Short said:
Some people will conveniently blame the smaoking ban, but the reason is almost certainly a combination of several things happening at the same time: very high increases in rents in managed/leased pubs; large increases in the cost and retail price of pub beers; the smoking ban; cheap alcohol from retailers and rapidly declining disposable income (which is in my opinion the most disastrous when combined with the others).
Here in town there will be at least one pub less by the end of the year.
It's not convenient, where I live the number of people in city centre pubs dropped off immediately the ban came into force and it simply hasn't picked up.Here in town there will be at least one pub less by the end of the year.
It doesn't matter, HMG have done their bit to f
k fox hunters and smokers, now they're coming after the drinkers. Don't say you weren't warned.Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff