Cheap beer in supermarkets?
As I was writing my post on British pub closures, I touched upon one of the most commonly cited reasons for pubs going to the wall. Supermarkets often take the blame for a change in British drinking culture. The theory goes that by offering drinks at considerably cheaper prices than pubs, the supermarkets are ensuring that people stay at home to drink rather than going out.
There’s something in this, and I have no doubt that supermarkets have had an effect on pub attendance. But I’m not sure it’s all about price – there’s one key point that the supermarket critics are missing.
Speciality beers
As a student in Sheffield between 1998 and 2001, I was rather lucky to live next to The Dram Shop in Crookesmoor. As off-licences (bottle shops in Australia, liquor stores in the US) go, it was a cherished goldmine. Others would sell bog standard cans of Carling, Stella, John Smiths and Fosters whereas the Dram Shop had speciality beers from across Britain and the world. It also had a brilliant range of spirits – particularly whiskies.
At the time, the supermarket selection wasn’t much better than that of the average off-licence. The Dram Shop was a beautiful island in a sea of mediocrity.
Supermarket quality vs pub quality
Now I am living back in Sheffield again, I am on the wrong side of town to visit the Dram Shop. And you know what? It doesn’t matter. I can walk down to the big Tesco* on Abbeydale Road and it has a phenomenal range of beers to choose from. There’s a huge amount of shelf space devoted to specialty beers, from bottled ales to Belgian fruit beers and Czech pilsners.
There’s also a whole aisle of wine – much of which is rather good and very reasonably priced.
Put simply, my local supermarket provides a far better range of quality drinks than my local pub does. I’m not choosing between them on price – I’m choosing on variety and standard.
Real ales and continental lagers
I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Given the choice of getting some interesting tipples from Tesco* and sitting in a pub where the most exciting options on offer are Guinness, Stella and Stones, then it’s no contest. But I will go to a pub that does have a good range, be it real ales or continental lagers such as Leffe, Franziskaner or Staropramen.
Price is certainly a factor, but quality and range is being underplayed – partly because the pub industry would like to paint supermarkets as the big, bad wolf. Average pubs simply cannot compete – but good pubs most certainly can. And what’s more, they are doing.
What do you think? Are supermarkets killing off pubs? And is it all about price or is it more complex than that? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Tags: British pubs, cheap beer, continental lager, drinking culture, Franziskaner, Leffe, pub closure, real ale, Sheffield, Staropramen, supermarkets, Tesco
In Washington State, where I live, the cops are really going after drunk drivers with heavy fines and jail sentences. Sometimes they’ll park near bars and follow patrons when they drive off in their cars to go home. So many people are now doing their drinking at home to begin with.
Also, people like to smoke and drink. All public places are now smoke-free, so drinkers have to leave bars and stand outside when they want a smoke. This is also hurting bar business, though it has bounced back since the law passed. Non-smokers are returning to the bar scene, and the smokers are adjusting.