UK’s ‘friendliest pubs’ revealed in new map – does your native boozer make the checklist?

We all have our ‘chosen’ boozer, whether that be a local or a favourite go-to when further-a-field.

While there are around 45,350 pubs (as of 2023) up and down the UK, you might not tend to stray from what you know – maybe they’ve got a special beer on tap or you have good craic with the rest of the punters.

But, stepping into a boozer you’re not familiar with could be risky business. It could be your new favourite place or you might be greeted with a frosty reception from the old blokes that have had their bums imprinted on the same stool for donkey’s years or maybe a long glare from the landlady behind the bar.

But, if you want to avoid that, then fear not. That’s because the UK’s top 10 ‘friendliest’ pubs have been revealed – and they’re pretty much scattered around the map.

New research by security experts Get Licensed, who analysed TripAdvisor reviews and crime scores, found the safest and happiest watering holes in all of the land.

They found that pubs in the East Midlands overall ranked the ‘friendliest’, with the East of England and the South West shortly following behind.

The frequency of words ‘friendly’ and ‘welcoming’ were studied amongst reviews against crime scores within areas. So, who made the list?

Do you think your local made it or is yours too much of a scrappy establishment?