The death of the British pub has been greatly exaggerated

52 pub closures every week

If you believed everything you read, then you’d probably be under the impression that the British pub is going the way of the dodo. According to the British Beer and Pub Association, 52 pubs are closing down every week. Read the media reports, and it’s a national tragedy. Smoking bans, cheap supermarket drink promotions, government taxes and a change in lifestyle are all to blame; people just don’t go to the pub any more, and thousands of great pubs are going to the wall.

Kelham Island pub crawl

Well I think there’s a story we’re not being told here. Because there are plenty of brilliant pubs in Britain that seem to be doing very nicely indeed. On Friday, I went on a bit of a pub crawl around Kelham Island in Sheffield. The area has cultivated a reputation as being something of a real ale heaven, and it’s easy to see why. Just about every pub I went in had well over half-a-dozen hand-pumped ales, many of which have been sourced from local breweries.

Full pubs

And what’s more, the pubs were full. The Kelham Island Tavern and the Fat Cat in particular were almost overflowing, and not just with bearded sandal-wearers clutching their CAMRA Good Beer Guide. They had a good mix of young professionals, locals, beer enthusiasts and couples. People don’t go to the pub any more? What nonsense.

Too many pubs in Britain?

My theory is that whilst undoubtedly many pubs are closing, the good ones aren’t. It’s arguable that Britain had far too many pubs in the first place, and that losing a few of the bad and mediocre ones is no great loss. And I’m pretty sure that almost all of the closed pubs were OK at best.

What is a traditional pub?

We have this romanticised notion of the traditional British pub. Old men in a corner slowly supping a half pint, a curmudgeonly-but-firm landlord, a dartboard in the corner and a fug of smoke. Sorry, but this isn’t a good pub – it might be a typical one, but it’s not a shining example of what a pub should be. I’d also argue that it’s not ‘traditional’ either – pubs have always moved with the times, and a ‘traditional’ pub of 40 years ago would be rather different from today’s ‘traditional pub’.

A reason to visit

People are still going to pubs, but they’re not going to pubs in the same way. There has been a change in mindset, and people won’t go to a pub just because it’s a pub. Being there and serving Carling and a warm Tetleys is not enough. There needs to be a reason to visit, be it live music, beer and wine festivals, a large range of real ale or special theme parties. Have some board games that people can play in the daytime, a range of newspapers to read, regular quizzes, comedy nights in a back room or open mic evenings.

Selkirk in Tooting

My old local when I was living in London was a classic example of this. The Selkirk in Tooting had a great community feel. It has good beers, there was always something going on, the management and staff were friendly, and were never afraid to experiment with events and special theme parties. As a result, the pub was usually pretty full. Compare this to some of the ‘traditional’ pubs in the area, and the contrast is stark. They’re grim, soulless places serving largely bad beer and giving absolutely no reason for people to come in. These are the pubs we’re losing – and good riddance.

Country pubs

The same applies to country pubs. I spent last weekend in Llanthony, South Wales. I had the misfortune to visit the Half Moon pub whilst there. It provided the worst food I have eaten for years, and somehow managed to bring the atmosphere of a truly dreadful fighty city pub to a well-to-do country hamlet. It survives on its captive audience from the nearby campsite and holiday cottages, but if there is any justice in the world it will be amongst the pub closure statistics in a couple of years’ time. There is simply no reason to visit the Half Moon, other than desperation and the fact it’s there.

Peak District pub closures

Let’s take an area I know rather better. When I was a student, the Marquis of Granby was a regular feature on our occasional Peak District pub crawls. Nine years later it has been razed to the ground. You can say it wasn’t in the most convenient locations – rather out on its own as opposed to being in the centre of a village – but it closed because it was, quite simply, an awful place. I repeat; unless you had no other option, there was no reason to visit.

Poacher’s Arms in Hope

Take this in contrast to the Poacher’s Arms, which is in a similarly inconvenient position between Hope and Castleton.  But it has been refurbished in the last few years, looks really good and offers good value accommodation. More importantly, it serves up truly sensational home-cooked food, which is largely sourced from local suppliers. It is possibly the best pub food I have had in Britain. Throw in good beers and a range of wines, and there’s a fabulous reason for me to go an hour out of my way to go there. Unsurprisingly, it looks like the Poacher’s Arms is doing pretty well.

Celebrate pub closures

Bad and average pubs closing is not something to cry over. Yes, it’s preferable that they’re taken over by someone who will run them well and – guess – give people a reason to visit. But a little Darwinian winnowing is probably a good thing in the long run. I’m inclined to celebrate these pub closures rather than mourn them.

What do you think? Are we in danger of losing our heritage or do British pubs need to move with the times? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Tags: British pubs, country pubs, Hope, Kelham Island, Llanthony, Peak District, pub closure, real ale, South Wales, traditional pub