Experts have revealed the year the number of pubs in Britain will plummet below 1,000.
We’ve been reporting for a while now just how dire a situation Britain’s pub landscape has found itself in. In an upcoming Daily Star special investigation we’ll expose the true hardships faced by landlords up an down the country.
According to damning research by Togather, the UK’s leading event booking platform, we are just 50 years away from boozers becoming a seriously endangered beast.
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Currently there are 38,175 pubs open for business in the UK which Togather says is already a worrying drop from last decade’s 41,015.
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Much like high street shops and banks, pubs are battling what appears to be a losing fight against our shifting economy.
If the rapid decline of pub numbers doesn’t improve, Togather estimates that with an annual closure rate of approximately 6.92% for the next five decades will plunge them below that 1,000 mark.
GB News reports 769 pub businesses became insolvent in 2023, more than the 518 in 2022. The rate of decline is the equivalent of 2.1 closures per day, up from 1.4 per day the previous year. The figures don’t even take into account individual pubs closed down by management groups still up and running.
In just 10 years’ time we’re staring down the barrel of losing half of our pubs unless dramatic action is taken. So just 18,000 boozers in 2033 and a staggeringly few 9,000 by 2043.
In an attempt to change the course of their downfall, pubs have been told to branch out beyond pouring pints by throwing food and craft beer events for example. The term ‘experience-driven destinations’ has even been banded about…
The other side of it, of course, is the government lowering business rates or offering tax breaks to make running such popular establishments financially viable.
Furthermore, industry experts suggest local ownership of pubs could foster pride and investment all the while embracing their communities more with musicians, art shows, and creative events.