How are public houses evolving in an ever-changing society? We asked those who run them.
The metamorphosis of the English pub: from alehouse to contemporary gastropub
The pub: an English icon, a true institution in its homeland, a symbol of British culture around the world. Its history dates back to ancient times: the first to bring the ancestor of the pub to England were the Romans with their tabernae, places where primarily wine and produce were sold, where legionaries and travelers could eat and drink. In the following centuries, beer replaced wine and alehouses and inns spread throughout the country. It was during the Victorian era, however, that pubs began what we know today: a place to enjoy a pint and meet with people.
However, public houses (the formal term for pub) have undergone yet another transformation in recent years, becoming more than just places to enjoy a pint of beer. Many of them have transformed into gastropubs, combining the tradition of craft beer with a more varied and complex culinary offer. Not just fish and chips or pies, but also vegetarian, vegan, and more complex menus, which attract a diverse and discerning audience who are attentive to sustainability and where food comes from. But how is the pub really evolving today? What challenges await it in the future? We spoke with Holly (The Weighbridge Inn) and James (The Perch), both restaurateurs in one of England's most beautiful areas, the Cotswolds.
British pubs have long been a cornerstone of local communities. Do you think it is still the case? Are they stepping into new roles these days?
Holly: “I like to think we have a great local customer base, we also have lots of visitors from further a field thanks to social media reaching all over the world, so I would say a bit of both really, local customers and travellers keep our pub successful and interesting for local people who may meet new people from different countries.”
James: “I think pubs are generally becoming less of the cornerstone of local communities. This is shown by the number of local, independently owned pubs closing down and the increased number of chain-pubs opening. Pubs are obviously still around, but they have definitely changed in their importance to the British public.”
Do you think there has been an evolution in pubs’ food?
Holly: “At our pub the pies are a big draw for customers, so we could never change them but we do try to keep the rest of the menu up to date with people's tastes. People are more into food than drinking all night nowadays, we notice that customers leave earlier now than in the past, they eat have a drink and go home, myself and my family also do this when we visit other local pubs, the demand is for food mostly. There is a rise in dietary requirements/ allergies, we try to cater for as much as possible, we supply vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free and any other allergies we try to cater for.”
James: “I think the evolution of pub food depends on the venue. There seems to be an increased attempt to please everybody with a wide-ranging menu, often featuring dishes which aren’t English, British or in some cases even European! Our goal is to focus on one thing to do, and do it really well! We always try to buy locally, using independent companies to supply us with fresh fruit and veg, fish, meat etc as well as local breweries and wine suppliers as well wherever possible. We’ve offered an entire vegan menu for a long time now so, even with the advent of things like “Veganuary” (going vegan for January), we personally haven’t noticed that much of a change; but I think that is purely because it’s something we’ve always offered. There are more vegans around as evidenced by the increasing number of vegan/vegetarian establishments, as well as little things like food stuffs being more obviously labelled as vegan or vegetarian”.
Do you think there’s a change in drinking habits in the younger generations?
Holly: "There is a bit of both really, some are more interested in food and others like to come in for food and alcoholic beverages, we get both in our pub."
James: “We’ve never really been the sort of place where people come and drink a huge amount – whether it’s the younger generation or the older generation. There is definitely an increased trend of people moving away from alcohol though – the number of low/no alcohol options that we offer has increased with every passing year due to demand. We now offer 0% sparkling wine as well as 3 different 0-0.5% beers”.
What are the challenges British pubs are facing? What do you see in the future of your industry?
James: “Rising rates are a huge problem with the industry. Business rates, alcohol taxes, utility costs and indeed ingredients. Everybody is facing a cost-of-living problem at the moment, which means people are less willing to part with the money they worked so hard to earn. We’re very conscious of this and we owe it to each of our guests that they enjoy themselves every time they set foot inside The Perch”.
Holly: “The challenges pubs face are constant price rises and having to pass that on to customers to keep the business successful. I hope the industry continues to thrive.”
