End of the Pub

[ElephantWhaleRabbit]

With the pub industry set to lose £650 million in December alone, when many venues make a quarter of their annual turnover, this pretty much looks like the end of the pub, particularly smaller independent venues. A significant part of our culture and history swept away, although I’m sure property developers will be happy.......

I agree. The destruction of society and humanity marches on. It will end up with no-one moving out of their boxes and "living" through a screen. No shops, no schools, no hospitality such as pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants, no entertainment, no music, no concerts. No joy, no life, no living, no singing, no laughing no fun.

No wonder the suicide rate is going up.

And No, I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

I work in a pub.Stressed isn't the word.TBh it is a large company and I hope spring will be better.😕

It's so depressing.

I'm sure Wetherspoons and other corporations will help fill the void.

I agree OP, but it seems many on here only see a pub as a type of restaurant. I really miss being able to pop into a local and have a drink or two and chat with whoever's about , you meet all sorts, many who I may disagree with on some matters, but that doesn't mean I don't value some time with them.
And before anyone says it, it is not the same as going for a coffee!

Wet pubs have been on the way out for years. Sometimes I think it is sad but not sad enough for me to go to my local. Society changes and although closures have accelerated due to covid, it isn't fully to blame.

I can't remember the last time I was in a pub but I would hate to see them lost.

Society changes and although closures have accelerated due to covid, it isn't fully to blame

This. As people become more aware of the health risks of drinking too much alcohol, the younger generations spend far less time in the pub than I certainly did in my youth.

Pubs are always dismissed on MN because there's not much crossover between the two demographics (see the many threads that can be summarised as 'something I like should be open, pubs should be shut, by the way I haven't been to the pub since I had my PFB in 2003'). There are communities that will be really damaged if/when they lose their pubs, though.

As people become more aware of the health risks of drinking too much alcohol

Honestly I think it was the rise in duty that started to kill the pub. Pre drinking at home was the beginning of the end.

After lockdown, I am planning on visiting my local as much as is necessary to single handedly support it though.

I agree COVID is not to blame, pubs have been declining for years. As a 20-something I feel that pubs are for old men and are dying out with that generation! I hardly ever go to the pub - I certainly would never suggest it - and when I do I get lime and soda because I don’t really drink. I think young people drink a lot less than prior generations.
The only time I can think of when a pub is appealing is a country pub after a walk. There are lots of pubs in the very urban area where I live and they are all completely grotty hives of antisocial behaviour so good riddance to those ones tbh.

The price of drinks (mostly duty but also general increases) was and is killing pubs - certainly in London, "basic" drinks are £5.50+ even in suburban pubs, hence people buying alcohol for home consumption much more...

I can't remember the last time I went into a pub for a drink - for me they are just a type of (often extremely good) restaurant. They are so expensive, it's much cheaper to have bottle of wine at home if all you want is a drink.

It depends on the pub and the owners attitude. Not all pubs are 'equal' for this reason. I don't believe there will cease to be a demand for pubs nor the community they produce.

One bar I know locally has been AMAZING over the past year. I believe its done a bigger turnover than last year, despite everything. They've done take out, delivery, bottle shop, done a deal with the neighbours to make a beer garden in their car park, and managed to get around the substantial meal issue despite being a 'wet pub' and having no kitchen though innovation.

One of the big issues with the industry is the control of the big chains and how this affects brewers and landlords making it harder for them to turn a profit because the brew chains take their cut.

If pubs do get closed by chains it does offer an alternative opportunity for more independent pubs and I think that might actually be a good thing for some.

I do very much agree with what Tom Kerridge was saying because I've seen it first hand. Another of my favour local pubs has almost just rolled over and said they can't do it, even though it is as well placed as the bar mentioned above - the difference is the unwillingness its had to do anything new. And thats purely an ownership thing.

Was just about to basically say the same as @RedToothBrush our local pubs have flourished and if they can make it through Tier 3 restrictions will be as busy as ever in 2021 - probably even busier given the investments they have made to their outdoor facilities this year

@RedToothBrush the Tom Kerridge series about saving local pubs was fantastic wasn't it?! It gave me a real insight into an industry I really didn't much understand.

@Hardbackwriter

Pubs are always dismissed on MN because there's not much crossover between the two demographics (see the many threads that can be summarised as 'something I like should be open, pubs should be shut, by the way I haven't been to the pub since I had my PFB in 2003'). There are communities that will be really damaged if/when they lose their pubs, though.

I think this is true, and sad especially when it’s a village hub, worse than losing the village shop/post office for the community aspect. But the demographic point is part of the reason why I don’t go to the pub - my local ones are not a space for me (hence my old man comment above). The pubs around where I live (urban centre) are the type where you just buy a pint and, at some of them, watch sports, not the gastropub type. I would feel out of place and not welcome, which is fine because I have other places to socialise and I don’t like beer. But maybe some pubs need to look at what they need to do to attract other groups if they aren’t able to survive with their current demographics, or just accept that times have changed. The last pub I went to locally didn’t even have soft drinks on tap so I was served lemonade out of a flat 2L bottle!

@user1471562688

I agree. The destruction of society and humanity marches on. It will end up with no-one moving out of their boxes and "living" through a screen. No shops, no schools, no hospitality such as pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants, no entertainment, no music, no concerts. No joy, no life, no living, no singing, no laughing no fun.

No wonder the suicide rate is going up.

And No, I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

This.

It’s all so sad.

It is unbelievably sad to think of my really really old fishermen's pubs dying. They are still at the heart of my fishing harbour- fronted tight knit community. Please let it not come to this.

@user1471562688

I agree. The destruction of society and humanity marches on. It will end up with no-one moving out of their boxes and "living" through a screen. No shops, no schools, no hospitality such as pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants, no entertainment, no music, no concerts. No joy, no life, no living, no singing, no laughing no fun.

No wonder the suicide rate is going up.

And No, I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

This. So sad. I guess we are privileged to have lived through no screen times, or at least those of us who are old enough.

The pubs and theatres have survived far worse than this in the past and they will survive this. Maybe not the individual businesses but the institution.

Yes it is shit bit then pandemics are shit.

Where I live there are loads of fantastic craft beer places which are definitely not seen as old fashioned or for the older generations, nor are they full of antisocial types. Lots of young (20s/30s) people and the focus is definitely on alcohol not food, though there's never any silly behaviour and most people stay for just a few pints. I do live in a big city however, and other cities seem to have similar bars (Manchester has loads). I love them - they're relaxed and they've been a real boon to the social scene here in the last few years.

The one me and DH go to regularly has already said it won't be reopening as have a couple of others. It's heartbreaking. The owners have put years of hard work into creating something vibrant and a real change from the loud stay night type bars we have here. And the lovely staff being out of work with no prospect of getting similar elsewhere. Then of course there's what it means for the night time economy - my city is renowned for its nightlife which supports thousands of jobs and brings millions into the local coffers.

How lovely for you if you've not been to a pub since forever and as far as you're concerned, good riddance to the nasty alcoholy places. Good for you. Thousands of people rely on pubs and bars for their livelihoods, and theyre the heart of many communities - particularly rural ones, or poorer ones. Fuck 'em though, eh.

*stag night

@Porcupineinwaiting

The pubs and theatres have survived far worse than this in the past and they will survive this. Maybe not the individual businesses but the institution.

Yes it is shit bit then pandemics are shit.

I’m not aware of pubs and theatres facing a situation where the people in power didn’t want them back. The threat of tech is a bigger one that faced in the past I think.

I do wonder if, once things are better under control, there will be a sudden surge of interest for all the things we've not been able to do - of course it will be too late for many pubs but could be positive for those that survive or reopen afterwards.