Fancy a pint?

Why are Britain's pubs shutting?


A PINT of beer down the local is a quintessential part of British culture. But in recent years many Britons have changed their drinking habits, shunning the pub and preferring to imbibe at home instead. Now over 50 pubs are closing every week, almost double the rate of a year ago, says the British Beer & Pub Association, a trade group. The recession, cheap alcohol at supermakets, and a smoking ban in pubs enacted in 2007 are all to blame. The government is also taking a bigger chunk in tax: from around 8p a pint in 1980 to nearly 38p now. Local boozers face the biggest struggle, because they are least likely to offer profitable food, coffee and the like. Meanwhile, chain pubs and café-bars are opening at a rate of two a week.
In the Economist