Time at the bar: can Britain’s pubs survive?
Good news for the rural pubs that support many rural communities. Have a google of the magnificent story of the fox and hounds in Ennerdale to get a real sense of how a fully functioning community owned pub can sustain a rural place
The pub industry is going through a shake-up, spurred on by recent government legislation to scrap the controversial “beer tie” system and allow pub landlords tied to big chains to buy beer on the open market.
The decision to alter the relationship between large pubcos and tenants followed a difficult decade for the pub industry in which the number of public houses in Britain dropped from 58,200 in 2006 to just 48,000 last year, a fall of 18pc.
Pub landlords hope they will be thrown another life raft in next week’s Budget, with some speculating that the Government may cut beer duty by 1p for the third consecutive year.
The Campaign for Real Ale lobby group, which supports a cut in beer tax, estimates that 1,047 pubs have been saved in the past two years as a result of the Government’s decision to scrap the beer duty escalator and cut beer duty in 2013 and 2014.
“At a time when there is concern about the number of people drinking excessively at home, the importance of pubs as places where you can drink responsibly in a social and community setting cannot be overstated,” said Camra’s chief executive Tim Page.