An ode to the pub, the nucleus of our social lives
How will you be celebrating Freedom Day? With restrictions on socialising having gradually eased over recent months, next Monday feels to many of us like the grand finale – a cathartic moment which finally marks the much-anticipated “Return To Normal”.
As we embrace this new dawn, pubs can begin their recovery as pub goers rekindle the joys of standing drinking, ordering at the bar and meeting in larger social groups. Yes, some may still opt to wear masks to help each other feel safe but make no mistake: this is the “back to normal” moment.
But as we approach Freedom Day, it’s worth reflecting on why this moment feels so significant, and what the prolonged closure of pubs has revealed about their role in our lives.
Pubs and the wider hospitality sector have always played an important part in our social and mental wellbeing by providing spaces for people to get together and connect – enabling us to meet, laugh, share stories, date, make friends, and escape the office after a hard day’s work. This is especially true in high density areas like London, where living space is often more confined, and the pub provides an essential space to socialise.
But what’s clear from focus groups and customer surveys by groups including the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) – as well as from the real-life experience of pub landlords and landladies up and down the UK – is that only through the absence of pubs is their positive impact on society now being fully understood.
At an individual level, the absence of hospitality has deepened feelings of boredom and isolation, while at a societal level it resulted in job losses. Without the opportunity to socialise, our cities lost their buzz and our towns lost a vital sense of community. Customers now recognise the value of everyday human contact and talk about how walking into a pub can help them feel “alive” after simply “existing” at home for so many months.
Among people in London and around the world, there was a clear consensus that after the experience of lockdown, people were approaching and appreciating the pub with a different mindset, according to World Thinks for IARD. People haven’t missed the alcohol (they had plenty of that at home) but they’ve missed the experience of going to the pub itself and the pub, while yes, is still a place to drink, has been elevated to a crucial cornerstone of our social lives.
It’s also clear from speaking to customers of all hospitality businesses that while lockdown restrictions have been testing, there are certain elements they want to keep.
For many of us, there’s a special feeling associated with ordering a drink at the bar – but for millions of others, being able to order drinks to your pub table via an app has been a welcome revelation as has been the lengths that pubs have gone to provide a safe and welcoming service despite the challenges they themselves have faced. More consistent, higher quality service has been reported by pubgoers across the UK with customers commenting on increased attention to detail and to table service, as well as introducing safety measures and providing new outdoor drinking and dining environments with the addition of wooden huts and heaters to provide a comfortable space. Landlords know that customers will expect this level of service to continue, even after venues get busier.
Finally, when July 19th comes around, there’s the question of what we’ll be drinking. Time away from the pub has opened many people’s eyes to the breadth of options that exist behind the bar.
With more time spent at home with family rather than friends, and perhaps a renewed focus on keeping in good health, many Brits will have taken the opportunity to try low and no-alcohol drinks for the first time. So don’t be surprised to see an increase in low and zero options being called out at the bar.
Come Monday 19th I will be at the bar – toasting the future of the pub whilst reconnecting with friends and family. And after the year-and-a-half we’ve had, that truly will be something to celebrate.