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Pubs in Britain seem to have stemmed the tide of closures as their number rose for the first time in more than 15 years in 2019, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Thursday.
New data showed there were 39,130 pubs across Britain in 2019, an increase of 315 pubs, or 0.8 percent compared with 2018. However, since 2001, the number of pubs has fallen by about 25 percent, or 13,375 pubs, according to ONS statistics.
Pubs are regarded as an important part of British culture and are often the social hubs for local communities. But the industry has suffered over the past years because of high business rates, cheap supermarket alcohol, changing social habits and other reasons.
In its latest data, the ONS also found other changes in the sector. It said pub and bar enterprises now employ more people serving food than people working behind the bar. In 2003, four in 10 employees were bar staff, and those serving food, including chefs, cooks, waiting staff, and kitchen and catering staff, made up roughly three in 10 employees. Since 2016, the opposite has been true, with those serving food outnumbering those working behind the bar.
"The tendency in pub and bar enterprises to employ more people serving food may be a reaction to changing consumer habits. There is a long-term trend towards people spending more of their household income on eating out and less on drinking out," the ONS said.
Despite the overall trend for pub closures, the number of jobs in this sector has been rising since 2011. There were 7,000 more jobs in this industry in 2019 compared with 2018, an increase of 1.6 percent, the ONS said.
