I read an article this week from the UK Brewery Association, or whatever they're called.
They expect that between 25-50% of UK pubs will close in the next 2-3 years.
I've just been in the Hammer (Woodlands) tonight and I confidently predict that will be one of them that closes. £5 a pint and a girl singing to an empty pub at 9 o'clock on a Friday night.
There are a number of reasons that pubs aren't the way they used to be, smoking, eating only, cost of living etc.
It's a proper death knell. They'll be gone soon. What do people think?
I think there's a number of reasons for the decline of pubs GPO. Years ago, I, like many used to love going for a drink in the evening, but now there's so much more to do. There was no digital TV, no internet, no social media and all the rest of it. Also, look at the price of booze in supermarkets. Dirt cheap. As you eluded to, £5 a pint ? No thanks. I always thought that the smoking ban had a huge effect on people not wanting to go to pubs, having to stand outside in the freezing cold having a ciggy. The decline of the "community spirit" also. Pubs used to be real hubs of close communities but now it's common not to even know your neighbour's name. It must be such a slog running a pub too now. How do you get people in unless it's for food, a live band or a quiz ? Even then there's no guarantee of customers through the door. The days of the neighbourhood local are long gone I would say. It's a way of life dying before our eyes and if I can use Widnes as an example, look how many pubs and social clubs have disappeared in this town in the last 20 years. I just don't think a lot of people are bothered about going out any more. Rather stay in with a few cans or a couple of bottles of wine. In the end, I'd think a town like Widnes will have pubs you can count on one hand and that's really sad. I'm at the point where I couldn't care less if I never went in a pub again, so me and people like me are accelerating the decline. Finally, I'm old enough to remember when you could go to a boozer in this town any night of the week and there'd be a cracking atmosphere in it, loads of people you knew and the guarantee of a good night. I don't think it's like that any more. You've brought up a good subject here and like you, I'd be interested in the views of others.
The 1am late bars for pubs killed the clubs, now the price for a pint in some pubs ( not all ) is taking the mick.
Whilst obviously a factor to an extent, I don’t think the current cost of living issues are the biggest challenge to pubs, they’ve been on the wane for years. I think the biggest factor is societal change, look at the world we live in now and the types of things that young adults are interested in.
When I turned 18 in the late 1980s, getting to the pub was a rite of passage; it was all I was interested in, socially anyway. I used to go as often as money would allow.
Look at 18 years olds now and you just don’t see the same thing; they’re not as social (in the same way) as people used to be, a lot are very school or career focussed at an earlier age, they seem more thrifty (tight) with their money than I remember my generation being, they have more life alternatives than kids used to have (social media, TV), there’s probably fewer smokers, going the pub is a lot more expensive than it used to be, supermarket booze is dirt cheap etc. All sorts of reasons.
When I go to pub these days, it’s always very much a middle-aged crowd. I do appreciate that certain places attract younger folk but they don’t seem to set foot in what I would call your ‘normal’ pubs.
So, I definitely think we’ll see a move towards most closing. Your city centre pubs and village locals might see some exemptions but things like estate pubs and older-style boozers might well be doomed forever.
Food pubs are the order of the day.
The only boozers i can think of in Widnes are
New Inn
Griffin
The ball
Leggies that do a good trade.
Four topped oak is good
but the point raised is very valid, in my opinion it started with the smoking ban, covid accelerated, but all along you had the cheap supermarket booze.
with covid people stopped at home with a few mates drinking at about a third of the price
students have been doing it for years, pre loading with cheap beer then popping to a pub for a pint before clubbing, in the mean time leaving a load of rubbish in the pub they popped into
the best days of pubs sadly are gone, the only ones that will survive are the likes of the witherspoons and country pubs with food an£ a garden
The price of a pint is enough to put people off pubs. And it’s not the greed of the landlord, their hands are tied. The cost of running a pub these days is astronomical. As with any business, the energy rates are not capped. They’ll cripple the owners before a turnover is made. The government will be happy for people to stay in their homes and increase the profits of the supermarkets, in which they’ll have shares.
Heard a rep for a local brewery a couple of weeks ago state that the price of a pint in Liverpool will be £8.00 on average within 12-months.
Sadly, the days of the pubs are numbered.
Admittedly the non smoking factor is real but other than that is it simply the prices?
Twelve years of restricted wage increases and/or wage freezes takes its toll and makes served drinks/food an expensive item!
@sandgroper but shouldn't we stick with it and pay the the cost to help the pubs???
The Blundell management have announced the pub is closing with immediate effect. They can't afford the energy bills. Very sad, was in there a couple of times in the autumn, they'd done a decent job on the place.
I think the Red Admiral in Runcorn closed just before Xmas as well.
Difficult to make that sort of decision. The pint has never been part of my 'match day experience' largely due my dad's example. He was heavily into sports participation and was more concerned with 'the game'.
In my youth I wasn't rich enough to make the pub part of my day, but not from choice.
TBH the world is changing as we speak with Govt wanting you to have no right to withdraw your labour!
But drink and drive made the short trip to the 'nice country pub' for the evening a non-starter and with pub prices climbing the after 9.00 swifty at the local will die too.
Looking back over the years, the Grange Estate in Runcorn was built with an abundance of local pubs. In a Council estate it was ideal you would think. Certainly living there in the 60's they were well supported. But those happy days have disappeared and the pubs with them.
As for making a special effort to support pubs, that is a step too far, any spare cash in my pocket goes to the Vikings ! The club and the game have given me a diversion of pleasure and support through some family health issues over the years when it was sorely needed!
Pubs, or their alternative, will survive as long as they make a profit.
I think that going back a good few years, the affordability of cars for most families and people working greater distances from home also had an effect on the incomes of a lot of pubs.
when I started using pubs in the late 1970's , there was often a good trade at evening opening time , I think 5.30 p.m.. A lot of people who either walked home from work or used public transport would stop off for a couple of pints on the way home and I used to enjoy that couple of hours , an income stream which I think mostly outweighed all day opening.
Though I have never smoked, the ban has in my opinion , been the final nail in the traditional local boozer. There are a lot of people of my era , who were great lovers of the atmosphere of a good local , who are just not fans of the town centre chrome and glass style bars which the younger drinkers enjoy . Though I see the attraction of these bars , they are just too modern and sanitised for me.
Not something that would have bothered me that much a while ago, but at 80 + could is the number of casual stabbings these days, often in licenced premises!
There seems to hardly a day that is without some violence or other. Another good reason for drinking at home!
Well I live miles away from Widnes now, in the country I suppose.
but pubs round here are closing too, my social club keeps going by free efforts from members
crib is dead, skittles is on its last legs - no beer legs anymore, darts - faded away, shove hapenny - gone as well, dommies similar
back in the day the working man would come home from work, have it’s tea and go to pub to either have a quiet pint or play any of the indoor sports mentioned, whilst quaffing a lot of beer, now all gone
i think personally I have had the best days