Pubs still vital for social interaction, study shows

The future for pubs may not be so bleak after a third of young people said on-line interaction will never compete with real-life encounters in the pub.

A study by social anthropologist Kate Fox, also found more than 40 per cent of pub-goers believe the pub is better for family get-togethers than home.

And one in four of the 2,217 surveyed for the report, commissioned by Greene King, said their local was an essential part of community life.

Rooney Anand, Greene King chief executive said: "The message from this research is extremely positive - it shows that the pub is not only relevant now, but that its appeal is abiding over time.

"The demand for great community pubs is not about to disappear."

The study looking at the role of the pub in the 21st century also revealed more than two thirds feel the pub acts as a completely neutral social space.

It also found that almost a third of people believe the pub is the only place where it is possible to forge new relationships regardless of social status, age, class, job, race or background. While more than a quarter feel comfortable chatting to strangers in their local, and one in 10 have made 'lifelong friends' as a result of a casual conversation in the pub.

Fox said: "While many people bemoan the breakdown of community in Britain, the local pub continues to serve as a hub for sociability and the bringing together of people from different walks of life in a way that no other social institution can.

"British people feel very strongly about "the pub" and its place in the nation's infrastructure as well as the individual communities all pubs serve. They really are a vital social lifeline."