Report: The UK is now a moderation nation
A new report states that the UK is now a “moderation nation,” with a quarter of UK adults ‘zebra striping’ on every pub visit. (Meaning patrons alternate between alcoholic and no-alcohol beverages.)
The report in Low No Drinker Magazine says that according to KAM Insights, more than 1-in-5 18–24-year-old Brits claim not to drink alcohol, the highest of any age group. The report also found that 53% of 18–24-year-olds report visiting a pub or bar once a week or more. With over 1 in 3 pubs visits by UK adults being alcohol-free, the report highlighted how the UK’s love for the pub continues to endure, since it remains the place for social connection.
They point out that this means pubs in Britain are losing £800 million a year as guests who want an option to booze default to tap water.
Why is so little kombucha on offer, you might ask?
This is ironic given the dire state of Britain’s pubs. It is reported that over 1,300 were forced to close last year, three out of four pubs failed to make a profit, and 20,000 jobs were lost. In fact, government figures show that from 2000 to 2019, 13,600 pubs around the country, or 22% of the total, shut their doors for good.
So why do more not serve kombucha on tap, you might ask?
It seems that some blame the pub closures on shifting work habits, where pubs struggle to survive in an atomized, remote-work world, while others claim sky-high energy costs and punters having less disposable cash is the cause. Still others claim it is down to property developers, stay-at-home drinkers and rising prices. None of these news reports mentions the money people who want an alcohol-free option keep in their pockets.
Newsflash!
The KAM insight report is not news to readers of Booch News. In 2018 we reported on a front-page feature in the London Times that a third of under-25s drink no alcohol — a greater number than KAM found in their survey.
Kombucha in pubs
In 2019 I conducted an informal survey of pubs in Bristol, England and found only 20% of a sample served kombucha. There are exceptions. The Wetherspoon chain now stocks Australian Remedy Kombucha, as do Fuller’s pubs. The Fuller’s chain is reported to also stock Real Kombucha. The Greene King pub chain stocks Lo Bros kombucha in 170 pubs in London. Up in Scotland, Left Field Kombucha is on draught in bars, including Six Degrees North – the largest tap bar in Edinburgh.
Hopefully a growing number of British pubs will offer kombucha and claim some of the £800 million they are leaving on the table. More kombucha, less tap water, eh?
