UK pub culture in partial resurgence says new survey

By James Lawrence

Published: 09 December, 2024

Reports of the terminal decline of the quintessential British boozer have been greatly exaggerated, according to a new survey by SumUp.

As a leading provider of point of sale (POS) technology, SumUp has been able to collect data on new openings between 2020 and 2024.

Its analysis revealed an overall decrease of 2.6 % in pubs and bars in the UK over the past four years. However, it also tracked a surge of new premises in certain regions.

Focusing on regional towns and smaller cities, the report showed that Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, recorded a 62.5% increase in the number of licenced venues – 25 new establishments have opened over the last four years.

According to SumUP: “Chatham also saw a 50% growth for new pubs and bars between 2020-2024, coming in at second place. In addition, Basildon has welcomed an additional five pubs over the last four years – a 33.3% increase.”

The cathedral city of Chester saw new openings rise by 22%. Blackpool, Cheltenham and Walsall were slightly lower at 20% between 2020 and 2024.

Meanwhile, data released by MiXR, a leading pub and bar loyalty app, suggests that 14 December will be the busiest day of the year for hospitality businesses across the country.

“Other likely spikes pre-Christmas coming from moments such as the end of the university term for students and the upcoming fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk,” the report stated.

In terms of consumer trends, MiXR recorded sales of “109,849 roasts and festive meals and 3,095,642 shots and bombs across their venues” in December 2023.

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