Landlords have been warned to stop serving stale beer if they want to save their pubs from extinction. Ben Wilkinson, the national director of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), has warned that if drinkers have just one poor experience of a pub they may never return.
Writing in the newly published Good Beer Guide 2020, Mr Wilkinson said: “Perhaps we just have to accept the hard truth that the biggest threat to the pub is the pub itself. Or rather, the perception of the pub.”
Research by Camra last year found that pubs are closing at a rate of 18 a week, with 476 closures in the first six months of the year.
According to this year's Cask Report, drinkers' perception of poor quality beer is the main reason why they avoid certain pubs - with seven in ten saying they have been served stale or ill-kept beer.
Having read Mr Wilkinson's remarks I was, quiet frankly, perplexed! Being a Licensee myself, I understand that stale beer could have a major impact on a pubs business but to blame the 18 pub closures a week on this fact, is quiet frankly, misguided.
You can't talk about pub closures and blame one single factort, there is many contributing reasons like the huge hike in business rates, unfair tax, massive compitition form Supermarkets and the ever increasing cost of utilities. How can the Drinks Industry get the help it needs if leaders in the industry doesnt recognise the problems we face!
