London is known for many things — its history, its landmarks, its bad weather — but people who really know London will tell you about another city treasure: its pubs. Britain loves its pubs and, as you’d expect, London is no exception.
There are over 3,000 authentic pubs in England’s capital, but a recent analysis found that London has lost over 25% of its pubs since 2001. In 2015 alone, London lost 497 pubs (the net figure, also considering new openings). That’s almost 10 pubs a week — a sobering trend.
The study was published by Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), an independent consumer organization which promotes real beer and authentic pubs. Camra says that London is not alone in facing a pub decline: in the early 1970s, the whole country boasted over 70,000. Now, there are fewer than 47,000.
London is closing its pubs faster than anywhere else in England and the last six months have been no exception. And many of its iconic pubs are closing.
You might deem this a trivial issue, but the Brits take their pubs very seriously. Here’s what Sadiq Khan, London’s mayor, had to say about this:
“The Great British pub is at the heart the capital’s culture. From traditional workingmen’s clubs to cutting-edge micro-breweries, London’s locals are as diverse and eclectic as the people who frequent them.”
“That’s why I’m shocked at the rate of closure highlighted by these statistics, and why we have partnered with Camra to ensure we can track the number of pubs open in the capital and redouble our efforts to stem the rate of closures.”
Why London is losing its pubs
It’s not easy to pinpoint the reasons why this is happening. For starters, younger people are simply drinking less, and when they do drink, they’re much more likely to do so at home or at a friend’s home. Gen Z is embracing sobriety more than previous generations and even millennials are drinking less. The pub doesn’t play the central social role it once used to do, but this doesn’t even tell half of the story.
The main culprit is the living crisis — the UK’s economy took a big hit after Brexit and the pandemic and has struggled to truly recover. Pubs are one of the many casualties of this crisis.
London is an extremely expensive city, and pubs are competing with other developers. Of course, they’re finding it increasingly hard to do so. Particularly, one of the pubs’ biggest competitors is accommodation. Rent has reached such absurd prices in London (a median equivalent of 2400 USD/ month) that for many owners, it makes more economic sense to turn the pub into rental apartments. The fact that in comparison, booze is so cheap in supermarkets also doesn’t help.
So, money and shifting cultures are the two main reasons why pubs are shutting down, even in the British stronghold. But is this really such a big problem?
Health and profits
Pubs, restaurants, and bars are one of the core industries of the UK — heck, they’re a big industry everywhere. But overall, although pubs are shutting down, the pubs & bars industry revenue is experiencing growth. In part, that happens because the remaining bars become more profitable. So, in terms of revenue and taxing, the money’s coming in nonetheless.
Granted, this probably means that the small pubs are shutting down while the big ones are thriving. This isn’t good news for anyone who cares about small businesses, it’s just saying that the industry overall is still bringing in revenue.
The other, more important part, is about health.
Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death and disability globally. Pubs, bars, and nightclubs increase alcohol sales and often resort to tactics that push consumers to drink and drink more, even when they may not feel inclined to do so. This is more than just a personal problem because alcohol consumption is associated with extra health spending. Alcohol-related harm is estimated to cost the UK around $4 billion every year — and that’s just direct damage. The external cost (the costs imposed by drinkers upon others) is around $25 billion every year in the UK. So. alcohol brings in big costs and pubs contribute to that burden. For society as a whole, you could argue that reducing that burden is good.
But do less pubs mean less alcohol sold? That’s not really that clear. If profits for the overall industry are going up, that could suggest that again, the surviving venues sell more alcohol. The total alcohol consumption has been slightly declining in the UK since 2020, but that could just be a post-pandemic sign.
Find more statistics at Statista
Culture is changing
Research shows that rural pubs contribute strongly to local cohesion. They’re a social gathering spot, essentially. In places like London, that plays less of a role, but they do play a role nonetheless.
In the face of London’s changing pub landscape, it’s clear that the city’s cherished pubs are not just places to grab a pint; they are a fundamental part of the capital’s culture and identity. The recent decline in the number of pubs, is indeed a matter of concern. The impact of pub closures on public health should not be ignored — this is a health issue as much as an economic issue. For now, however, this is poorly understood.
Ultimately, London’s changing pub landscape reflects broader shifts in culture and societal priorities. While it may not be a crisis in the traditional sense, it underscores the need to strike a balance between preserving existing cultural trends and addressing the evolving needs and challenges of a changing world. The fate of London’s pubs is a reminder that the world is changing and we can’t take cultural and societal norms for granted.
