So why are Pubs closing all over London?

[Streetbudgie]

I've heard some interesting arguments on this one

I think it it is to do with the changing population of London reflecting the increase in the number of those from overseas and and those with a different heritage from the  indigenous Englishman

For religious reasons some people don't drink alcohol and other countries just don't have going to Pubs as part of their social culture.

I thought I could list some countries that do but apart from UK, Ireland and Germany I really can't.

Greek people on the whole like a bevy but it's usually around family and a meal with kids and granny et all involved.

[dBfazer600]

Its not just London but all over the country but I do think its a change in culture to a more family orientated focus. The traditional pub is finding it hard to compete with cheep sales from shops as the outlets for alcohol were the beer off/off licence and the changing working paterns and demographics of the working population.
 
Daz

[jon]

Smoking ban started it, prices finished it. All of our pubs are now turning into resaurants, thats where the money is now.

It aint just london, all the local village pubs round here are dead on a weekend now, ironically its only the eastern european powerdrinkers that are spending any money on alcohol round here, the english all seem to drink at home now.

[Doddsie]

What is better than sitting in the garden of a nice country pub in the summer?    Problem is, how do you get there??? Cost of petrol is sky high and you cant drink and drive, add to this that you can get 12 cans in Tesco`s for the price of 3 pints and all starts to become clear!!!

[JZS 600]

The price of beer is driving the pubs shut as well as the smoking ban.


Hey ho, new times!

[bri h]

My loal is packed with youngsters at the weekend but prety dead the rest of the week. I only go there when its 2quid a pint in happy hour. I suppose us parents are subsidising our kids having fun. Cant begrudge them that thou eh.

[simonm]

I prefer boozin at home, no smart asses, loud music or aggressive drunks to deal with.  Especially when I can have a bbq going at the same time.

Weatherspoons are decimating pubs by being cheap and good value.  Nowt wrong with that imho provided they keep the tv's and music off

MOst of the pubs that are closing probably sold flat ale or gave food poisoning.  You have to be successful in public houses to survive.  If you don't innovate and provide hygienic quality even if it's at a cost you'll be gone (or shut down) in no time

[taylor]

that,s very true simonm i agree. i am in wales cheap beer they say,in my  local 369 a pint of stella, in the shop 4 cans 429.

[Doddsie]

How are Weatherspoons decimating pubs??? They do good food for a good price and cheap beer. They took the monopoly from the major breweries by not being so greedy. They make a small profit on everything but over a grand scale. There is no music in Weatherspoon pubs, only in Lloyds.

[taylor]

good food  come on.

[Doddsie]

fish and chips isnt good food then??? Im sure we have all eaten it!!!

[simonm]

How are Weatherspoons decimating pubs??? They do good food for a good price and cheap beer. They took the monopoly from the major breweries by not being so greedy. They make a small profit on everything but over a grand scale. There is no music in Weatherspoon pubs, only in Lloyds.

Wetherspoons are decimating expensive (read traditional) pubs by providing a cheap and quality alternative ? I suspect you're agreeing with me without understanding my post.

[simonm]

Make mine a beer and a chicken burger ;-).  Could be tempted by the steak or curry days too.

[Doddsie]

A lot of real traditional pubs shot them selves in the foot by being greedy in the first place. Not just in the prices they charged but also in the rent they charged landlords etc. Manns, whitbreads, Charlie Wells etc all had a good selection of pubs in virtually every town, Weatherspoons have thrived because they have reasonable prices, not because they are a large chain. They usually only have a couple of pubs in each town whereas the major league brewers had anything up to 20. If weatherspoons can sell it cheap, why couldnt they, especially as most of them brewed their own beer as well?

[VNA - BMW Wank]

Falling incomes.  Private companies also pushing people towards lower pay and poorer conditions etc.

People stuck with big mortgages, or you have rising rates cos folks can't get mortgages.  Higher levels of unemployment.  Student debt. 

Triple dip recession.

Apparently we are drinking more than ever though.  Cheap supermarket booze, it's never been cheaper.  And of course supermarkets use drink as a loss leader.  I mean I can pick up a bottle of decent whisky for a tenner from Morrisons, gotta be a loss leader.

If a pub wants to survive it needs to look at it's market, and changing tastes.  A lot of white indigenous folks want more from their pub than just somewhere to get pissed on crap beer.

[Doddsie]

Exactly, when you go to the pub its not cos youre thirsty, you are paying for the whole social aspect. It is always cheaper to drink at home, but its not as much fun. Some pubs do this so much better than others.

[Exupnut]

what about the drama aspect in city pubs,,,,yunguns getting pissed and fightin over sod all, constantly havin to watch ur things for fear of theft, people invadin ur space tryin to flog u dvd's or drugs etc constantly q-ing at peak times and then bein pissed at the bill, people nickin ur drinks or spillin them and tellin u "fuck off its ur fault" arguing over the pool table or rules or who put coin down first, nutters,,and i mean proper nutters approachin u in all manner of ways for money....oh yeah and the toilets....we wont go there .(takes a breath)..who the fuck would want to drink in a city pub.


me and a girl i used to live with got  up on  sat mornings went  for a breccy and chose a weatherspoon somewhere in the country and just drove there for lunch dinner whatever on our bikes,,,,easily a 100 different pubs  plus our local. medium food at a good price and the beer is well priced..i have nevver seen a hint of trouble in the many ive been to. all age groups and family friendly..and the bogs are clean

[Looney tune]

   Exup, I'm heading down to Woking today and then out in London tomorrow night (never been to London) so sounds like fun !!


On the pub front, Wetherspoons can do cheap because of there buying power when it comes to stock. 'Ok Mr brewery man we will take X thousand barrels and we want them for X pounds', 'Ok Mr spoons we can do that as your business keeps us going with the amount of pubs you have'.
As for their food, posh Mc Donalds at best. When I go out for a meal I like to eat something that is not ready available to us at our local shops etc, then you don't get the old favourite of " I could make this " feeling.
Hardly ever drink at home, love the crack in a pub 

[Simon.Pieman]

 I have a flat in Southwark that I use when I'm 'uptown' and the pubs around there seem to be thriving during the week, a lot of the city boys come over after work for a pub crawl but they are mostly white or rich young Asian types who have money to burn and they arn't local. At weekends it's tourists who throng the bars from Blackfriars to Borough right down the river to Wapping (a pub crawl I've done often) The pubs that are closing in London are those that are off the tourist trail and in areas where the number of immigrants is almost a majority and very few of them drink.
 At home in Cornwall, I only go to the pub occaissionally after fishing on the coast, my local pub is ruined by over loud music which seems to be for the benefit of the young staff rather than the customers who can hardly hear themselves speak.
Si

[locksmith]

When I go out for a meal I like to eat something that is not ready available to us at our local shops etc, then you don't get the old favourite of " I could make this " feeling.

Exactly my feelings, If I can make better at home I resent paying for it.
Especially Weatherspoons where it's just reheated mass produced stuff, but there beer is cheap!
 
In my village there's two pubs. One is a really nice open plan place but sells reheated food at un-cheap prices and the other has had a succession of landlords who all seem to get it wrong. The food there is fresh, but so hit and miss but the atmosphere is lousy. Even the landlady (who must recognise our faces), never aknowledges us or gets off her bar stool to serve when theres people waiting and mooches round in her slippers
 
One weatherspoons I occasionally use is near the Highbury tube station. On a match day, they have around 12 servers behind the bar so you can get served quickly despite the place being rammed. And a beer and a burger is really cheap. (I can stomach a gormet burger and chips if beer is involved )
 
 
 

[simonm]

The only problem with that line of reasoning is that I find it hard to admit that anywhere makes better food than I do at a price I'm willing to pay .

e beer and a burger is my excuse to myself that it's better value and just as good as a zinger meal, subway, boots/Tesco meal deal and/or greggs and includes beer.

s just a lunch thing 

[pete786.u]

Not just London. The village I live had 4 pubs when I first moved here. There is now 1. They were all tied pubs and the brewery kept putting the price of their beer up which the Landlord had to pass on to the customers so less people could afford to drink more than once a week. The last one to shut was going to be refurbished by the brewery but is now up for sale so will probably end up as a private house.     

[steeeve66]

I have a flat in Southwark that I use when I'm 'uptown' and the pubs around there seem to be thriving during the week, a lot of the city boys come over after work for a pub crawl but they are mostly white or rich young Asian types who have money to burn and they arn't local. At weekends it's tourists who throng the bars from Blackfriars to Borough right down the river to Wapping (a pub crawl I've done often) The pubs that are closing in London are those that are off the tourist trail and in areas where the number of immigrants is almost a majority and very few of them drink.
 At home in Cornwall, I only go to the pub occaissionally after fishing on the coast, my local pub is ruined by over loud music which seems to be for the benefit of the young staff rather than the customers who can hardly hear themselves speak.
Si

I can remember when The Anchor on Bankside was a great place to go - ruined now by the appalling Travel Inn bolted on to the side and in what was the beer garden; tourist hell now sadly.

[Raymy]

Pubs are closing cos they're fuckin extortionate. And its not restricted to London. 
On the food aspect. If its wethergoons or shitbread, the fact is that its frozen chip amd microwaves.  Ok, steaks and other meat products may come in uncooked, but the cheffing involved is minimal. I have plenty confidence I can do better at home, and regularly do so. I won't eat lasagna anywhere because mine is so good (it really is).
Restaurants on the other hand I do like because they are cooking (or at least they should be) but sometimes I think I can do better. Not often mind, although it depends where it is.

But the problem is that while I'm happy to get pished in the hoose, I like a draught pint. I'm not too bothered about social adpects as I often drink alone but I do like a good pint and hopefully a quiet pub to drink it in.
Currently, for the level I like to drink at, I need anywhere between 30 and 50 sheets to spend a few hours supping. Its an average price of a pint in the weege is easily 3.50 unless you go to wethergoons or similar. Thats fine,  or it would be if they weren't full of arseholes, which they are in glasgow too often for my liking.

People say the smoking ban had an effect on trade.  In glasgow, not so much. 2006 it came in and I been working in pubs on and off for the last 13 years, consistently (full time almost) between 2007 and 2011 and noticed no significant drop until around 2009 ie housing crash and recession. Clubbing took the hit earlier but only in the bigger scale superclubs like fabric and the arches as more people moved away from higher and higher ticket prices to get a more intimate experience. These big acts playing these venues now do stadium tours and traditional gig venues.


Overall its just shit. Raise our wages and we might start kicking the trade back in as we look to spend our dosh

[Raymy]

Its closer to 4.50 a pint rather