The Pub Curmudgeon

Over the past fifteen years, we’ve lost about a third of the pubs that previously existed in the UK. You might expect that to lead to a gene...

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has called on the government to do more to tackle alcohol smuggling and duty evasion . Howeve...

In one of the dwindling number of proper pubs remaining in Cheshire: The barmaid mentions that they now have John Smiths on. So one drinker...

To be honest, I’m more of a cat person than a dog person. But I’ve been struck by an undercurrent in various comments that people really d...

Some surprise has been expressed that the petition to scrap the beer duty escalator is crawling along on the slow line, still below 90,000,...

Back in the 60s and 70s, Robinson’s brewery in Stockport, while in many ways very traditionally run, had a penchant for doing up their pub...

On my most recent visit to Tesco I did a quick check on the shelves of the alcoholic strengths of the big-selling premium lager brands, with...

The BBC reports : A row has broken out over whether English towns should encourage Scottish drinkers to visit on “booze runs”. Northumbe...

More pathetic appeasement here from Greene King expressing support for a 45-50p per unit minimum price for alcohol. This is a classic case ...

Well, I’ve finally relinquished any official position of responsibility within CAMRA. Some may say “what kept you?” but at last it has hap...

Last August I ran a poll entitled “The Ultimate Question” asking for people’s views on the issue of smoking in pubs and bars. The results ...

The current poll asking for your views on the issue of smoking in pubs and bars is coming to a close – I plan to take it down around midday ...

The Flouch Inn for many years was a well-known landmark on the main road from Manchester to Sheffield across the Woodhead Pass. About twe...

It’s reported that the Office of Fair Trading has expressed reservations about the potential unintended consequences of the Government’s po...

I recently obtained via eBay a copy of Frank Baillie’s classic book The Beer Drinker’s Companion , first published in 1973. Although datin...