Experts say the Great British pub could be saved by one unexpected product – the alcohol free beer.
Brits love a pint or a glass of wine at their local boozer, but it appears the need for low to no alcohol is growing year on year, and it might just save the ever-dwindling number of pubs in the UK. According to statistics from The Drinking Business, about 80 pubs closed each month in the first quarter of this year. This is a 56% increase from the same period in 2023.
There were a total of 39,162 pubs in England and Wales at the end of March 2024, down from 39,401 at the end of 2023. While it all seems pretty bleak, pub owners are hopeful this spike in the non-drinkers will save their dire business landscape.
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A whopping record of 140 million pints of no or low-alcohol beer are expected to be sold this year, up 12% on 2023. Not only that, around 86% of pubs now offer the drink, a new high for the country.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said the pub is “even more inclusive and welcoming than ever before this festive season.”
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BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “Whether someone is choosing moderation, keeping pace with many Christmas festivities, or just doesn’t drink alcohol, these sales show brewers and pubs are catering to all,” reports Sky News.
“With the popularity of no and low increasing, we stand ready to support the government in taking the necessary steps to align our no and low-alcohol descriptors with other markets. This important move would allow the category to continue to flourish, benefit the consumer, and allow the pub to continue being a home away from home.”
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Brits are said to be increasingly adopting a “flexi-sober” lifestyle where we flip-flop between boozing or not drinking on nights out. More than a fifth of us reported sticking to zero or low-alcohol drinks on some occasions before reverting to traditional full-strength tipples at other times.
Currently, the threshold for “alcohol free” is 0.05% ABV (alcohol by volume), when it can be 0.5% ABV in other nations. Organisations are trying to level out this threshold, which will eventually boost sales – and potentially save failing pubs.
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