Mon, Mar 29, 2004 page6

• British pub industry feels the pinch of changing tastes

  NO DANGER Meeting friends in a pub is still a cornerstone of British social life but it's slowly being replaced by other leisure activities such as drinking wine and fitness

  • AFP
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  Pubs -- the cosy drinking houses nestled on every street in Britain -- are still the cornerstone of British social life, although some people are now more likely to have a quiet glass of wine at home.

  In the two years up to September, 2003, the country's supermarkets sold more alcohol than pubs and restaurants combined -- a first since records began, according to a study by the Nielsen research company.

  And although in no danger of extinction, the pub industry is starting to feel the pinch.

  According to industry observers, the sales figures reflect a wider consumer trend towards staying in, whether plugged into a movie or experimenting with new cooking styles.

  "Consumers have more choice about how to spend their leisure time," said Paul Flanagan, head of public relations for Britain at Diageo, the world's leading retailer of wines and spirits.

  British television programming -- whether about gardening, cooking or interior decoration -- is encouraging people to invest more time and money in their home, Flanagan argues.

  Outside the home, meanwhile, the health and fitness sector is booming -- with a 57 percent increase in expenditure over 10 years -- and gyms are now competing with the pub for people's time.

  From 70,000 to 80,000 at the end of World War II, Britain now counts around 60,000 pubs, a number that has remained stable for the past five years,

  The sector employs some 90,000 people, according to the Beer and Pubs Association.

  Pubs flourished in the 19th century, with the expansion of the industrial working class. Workers whose families lived crammed in squalid city slums would seek refuge in the drinking houses.

  "In the old days, a blue-collar worker who had been working hard all day in a factory wanted refreshment and calories ... he would drink 10 pints (around 5 liters) a night," according to Kim Slater, director of Faraday consultants.

  She said pubs served as a home from home at a time when few people had central heating and still play an important role in many communities.

  "Out in the suburbs, in the country, people are dropping in two or three times a week, to have a drink or a snack, to meet up with friends."

  A recent poll indicates that one Briton in four goes to the pub at least weekly, while pubs still account for 18 million of the 28 million pints of beer drunk in the country every day, according to Karen Kelshaw, spokeswoman for the British Beer and Pubs Association.

  Although she acknowledged that low prices were fuelling supermarket sales of alcohol, Kelshaw insisted that pubs were here to stay.

  "You can not replace the pub. It is about more than just beer. People go to the pub to celebrate or commiserate," she argued.

  This is reflected in television culture, where around half the scenes in Britain's leading soap operas, from Eastenders to Coronation Street, take place inside a pub.

  "Historically speaking, [the pub] has always been the most important social and cultural center in English communities," explained Beat Kumin, professor of history at Warwick university, who believes the institution will continue to adapt to changing times.

  From offering only beer, pubs started to sell brandy in the 17th century, followed by gin a century later.

  Close to 80 percent of pubs now offer a food menu, as people have cut down on drink but become more interested in food. They are adapting to changing tastes with new drinks, such as "alcopops" -- ready-made mixtures of sprit and soft drink that appeal to a younger, female demographic.

  Overall, Kumin remains upbeat about the future of a great British institution, which has been emulated across the globe: "The death of the pub? It will never happen."
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