Evidence continues to mount

Here’s yet more evidence of the severe decline in the pub trade post smoking ban, with a report of sales being 7.3% down since July of this year. That’s far more than normal seasonal fluctuations. Even food sales are down. Anecdotal evidence locally is that many licensees of the smaller wet-led pubs are really struggling and a number of closures can be expected come January and February.

Food not a panacea

Some salutary words for the licensed trade here. As I've said before, the idea that food sales will be the saviour of pubs in the post smoking ban era is a myth.

Windy weather

The large-scale consumption of beer makes flatulence a perennial problem in pubs, but I've never heard of anyone actually being banned from doing it before.

Enjoy it while you can

Transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick, in launching the annual Christmas drink-driving campaign, has stated that the government will be consulting (again) early in the New Year as to whether to lower the drink-drive limit. This will come as a sickening blow to licensees and pubgoers who were massively relieved when this threat to their livelihood and their social lives was seen off a few years back.

Obviously this has to be fought tooth and nail, but in a climate of increasingly irrational anti-drink hysteria I fear that this time it is likely to happen.

So enjoy those pubs while you can, because once this comes in the English pub as we currently know it will become a thing of the past outside a small urban rump.