English Pub (photo by Mirakel, courtesy of morguefile.com)

One of Britain’s most venerable institutions, the local pub, is in a struggle to survive according to an article in Time, “It's not that the British are necessarily drinking all that much less; it's where they're doing their drinking that's hurting the country's 98,000 pubs.”

Laws against drunk driving and underage drinking are being more strictly enforced. Heavier than normal summer rains drowned hops and barley and drove up the price of brewing. Energy costs rose during the cold, wet summer adding to heating bills. The implementation of a smoking ban during the cool wet weather is also being blamed for keeping folks away from the pubs.

The article in Time quotes the publican at the Greene King in Marylebone, "It is not just the smoking ban that is contributing to the closures, it is also how cheaply beer is sold at the supermarkets. It's cheaper to buy a can of beer than it is to buy a bottle of water."

Barman James Herring describes a new alternative to a pint at the pub: "Now, you've got Sky Plus [satellite TV sports channel] and a nice big plasma screen, a keg on tap; you invite a few friends around and you can smoke. Who needs the pub?"

Britain’s Campaign for Real Ale estimates that 60 pubs close every month. Serving food has become the survival strategy for many pubs, . The Office of National Statistics indicates that Britons spend an annual $60 billion on alcohol in bars, while the nation's eating out tab amounts to $84 billion.

The situation may not be all that dire. In New York City the first year of a ban on smoking hurt business at many bars, but afterwards new customers arrived to enjoy a smoke-free environment. Despite all the closings, new pubs are opening up, confident that Britons will be coming around to raise a pint for many years to come.

If you’d like to read the article in Time cited above go to: Why the Pub Is Empty