Where did it all go wrong for pubs?

Pubs have lost a generation of customers by making pubs an unwelcoming environment for young adults, says Sir Shannon Alberry of the Bloated Toad, in his latest blog.

I am often asked by my regulars at The Bloated Toad: "What's gone wrong with pubs?" They read about how awful they are almost every day, know all about the transgressions of pubs by reading the press — thanks Daily Mail — and follow the collapse of share prices every day. But they use pubs and like them and don't really understand the caricature they read and the mismatch between their enjoyment and what they read. Mind you they are mainly over 40!

I have been mulling over this issue for some time when a good customer of mine — we call him big Phil — gave me an insight. Big Phil is a bit younger than I am. I would guess he is in his early 50s. He said to me that he fully understood the plight of pubs. 'Oh yeah' I asked with a raised eyebrow.

He told me that his younger son, 19 and about to go to university and a bit of a social lad and who actually works a few shifts for me here, is in a real party phase as he waits to go off on a round the world pre-university tour.

So he is catching up with his other mates — all are good lads and are either at university or on their way. Big Phil said: "you've lost them". He said for whatever reason pubs really mean nothing to them. He pointed out that one evening when he got home his son and his mates (there were 6 of them) were about to go out clubbing — it was about 9.30pm. They had met at his house and Big Phil noticed that they left behind two (empty) bottles of vodka — both the cheapest varieties from Tesco's and Sainsbury's. Big Phil, always keen to reinforce his view, continued: "not only have you lost them now but you've probably lost them, and their generation, for ever".

Lost generation​

When Alex, that's the son, next came in to do a shift I asked him to explain how he and his mates view the world.

"Is it about price?" I asked. Not particularly, although getting half cut for £7.50 — that was the price of the Tesco's bottle of vodka — seemed pretty sensible when you were going to pay a fiver to get into Oceana and then pay £2 a go for drink there.

The real issue he said was that we are made to feel really unwelcome in pubs. So he and his mates don't bother.

What do you mean I asked him? Well, when we go into pubs we are made to feel really unwelcome, we are constantly been asked for ID, and constantly hassled — are often told that the ID must be fake, and are regularly turned away form pubs because they have signs saying Over 21s only. Pubs feel like really hostile places to go into, so we have given up.

Demonising the young​

This made me very depressed as the ramifications are very very negative for the future. If we were any other industry we would think about the next generation of customers. What we seem to have done is to demonise a sector of the younger community who have learned to go elsewhere and consume alcohol in a different way.

A combination of well known factors are clearly behind this but it made me think about how hospitable we are at The Bloated Toad and realise the lad was probably right about us too.

I guess it is true for all publicans — we are so concerned about an under-age sting that we really don't want young people in our pubs. Laws put in place to "protect" us from binge drinking and hooliganism is potentially doing two awful and both negative things to us. It is turning away a new generation of pub goers and also turning them towards the cheap booze at home before coming out.

Only a generation ago it was normal for kids technically underage to drink in pubs when supervised by older brothers, Dads and friends. Effectively we were taught how to drink and when to stop. The pub, or club, was the place where good supervision took place. Such a regime seemed to work pretty well. We did not need bouncers as we patrolled the kids. We bred a new generation of drinkers because the pub was a safe, fun place.

We now know that the 2003 Licensing Act has caused a number of unintentional consequences. Perhaps there is a real comparison with the financial regulation we have had and which has been a disaster. I daren't get Big Phil going on that one! It does not matter if there is regulation, if it is the wrong legislation and it is trying to do the wrong things.

Wrong regulation​

Perhaps we should now be setting the scene for an incoming Conservative Government to ensure they really get what is actually happening. As all the current trends and legislation clearly don't work — actually they do, but nearly all of them in the wrong direction. For example, if we want a calmer street scene, maybe a proper liberalisation rather than the prohibition that is happening could work.

Instead of forcing kids to "front load" at home let them back into licensed premises earlier where there is proper supervision. Lower the age of drinking to 16 and then let the pub sector be the centre of control and the places to educate young drinkers.

One thing is for sure, Tesco and the rest of the supermarkets will not do that — and the age of drinking is irrelevant if they are at home getting sloshed on the cheapest the supermarkets have on offer, before they come out!

We cannot afford a lost generation.

Sir Shannon Alberry is the owner, chef, head barman and principal pot wash at The Bloated Toad — a freehouse in a leafy English suburban town.​

• To read more Sir Shannon blog postings visit: Sir Shannon Blog​​.