Public Houses or “Pubs” as they are commonly called, have
had a long tradition in GB. Most people associate pubs with drinking, and it’s
true – pubs usually have a well-stocked bar.
But there is so much more to pub tradition, that I felt it was worth
exploring. So, here you have it! A mini history and culture of pubs in Great
Britain.
History
The first drinking houses in England sprung up during the
Roman occupation of Brittania (circa 50 – 450 ad). These were rest stops (called tabernae) for
travelers who would refresh themselves along the Roman travel routes.
When the Romans left, Anglo Saxons began a tradition of ale
houses that grew out of private dwellings and became the focal point of many
communities. They were very popular!
Around 970 AD one Anglo-Saxon
king, Edgar, even attempted to limit the number of alehouses in any
one village. He is also said to have been responsible for introducing a
drinking measure known as ‘the peg’ as a means of controlling the amount of
alcohol an individual could consume, hence the expression “to take (someone)
down a peg”.
Out of ale houses grew the public house. A traditional pub would serve spirits and
possibly something to eat.
The thing that potentially differentiates an inn from a pub
is that accommodation is provided at an inn. From about the mid 1600s to the
mid 1800s, coaching inns were a vital part of transportation as they served
coach travelers and their horses. Since
their demise, they now perform a similar function to pubs.
In 1830, to reduce the effects of public drunkenness, the
Beerhouse Act was created which provided for a type of public house that only
sold alcohol made from malt (which was seen as harmless, nutritious, and
healthy). Since the Act was passed
during the reign of King William IV, many pubs were named after him. Beer Houses existed until 1993 when the
Beerhouse act was repealed. Most beer houses
reestablished themselves as pubs.
As you look around the UK, you may notice signs for
particular breweries on the mastheads of many pubs as well as some that say
“free house”. In the 1700s, most pubs
brewed their own beer, but from the mid-1800s, breweries popped up and began
buying pubs. These establishments, or “tied” pubs are still visible today, but
it’s much more common to see free houses (pubs that sell a wide variety of
alcohol). Indeed, even those pubs who
claim to be free houses are generally doing business directly with the brewers
and may not always be completely free!
 |
| Tied House |
 |
| Free House |
Culture
The pub is much more than a bar to the British. In fact, it IS the British culture
encapsulated within building walls. Many
communities center around the pub even more than they do the church, and a pub
that you frequent near home or work is called your “local”. It is a place where the elderly can still
have a social life, and where younger folks have a second family. A pub is much more than a bar or a beer
hall. It is an alternative to the drudgery
of everyday life. Many pubs have dark,
smoky, or colored glass windows to lend to the air of passing the threshold
into another realm. You can drop your
worries at the door, come in for a drink, and communicate. In this time where face to face communication
happens so rarely, it is a gift to the British culture.
The Decline of Pubs
The 2000s may be defining the end of an era as far as public
houses are concerned. In 2007, a smoking
ban was introduced to include all public buildings in Britain as a result of
the Health Act of 2006. Of course, this
included pubs which, historically, were places where smokers frequented. Much of the public saw the passing of this
health act as the beginning of the current decline. Of course, nothing is quite that simple. The
banking collapse that occurred around the same time as the health act probably
did more than a smoking ban ever could to contribute to the decline of pubs in
GB.
The economic downturn in England began in 2007 when the
first bank, Northern Rock, collapsed due to bad loan policies. This economic decline is still being felt
today with around 30% of British citizens unemployed. So, when the government started taxing pubs
(called on-licenses) higher than stores (off-licenses) for alcohol, people
began buying their booze in supermarkets and stayed in rather than heading to
the local after work.
Other contributing factors to pub decline are the higher
standards required now for public houses to have not only alcohol, but tasty
and affordable meals, clean facilities, lodging, and friendly clientele. Some management can’t keep up with what it
takes to make a pub successful, so the business declines.
To date, more than 30,000 pubs have closed in GB.
Definitions
- Tavern - an establishment for the sale of beer and other drinks to be consumed on the premises, sometimes also serving food.
- Ale House - a tavern where ale or beer is sold
- Off License - a shop licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises, as opposed to a bar or public house which is licensed for consumption at the point of sale (on-licence).
- Local - a pub near to where a person lives, especially if they often go there to drink
- Publican – Pub owner
- PubCo - a company that owns a chain (group) of pubs in the UK
- FreeHouse - a tavern that, having no affiliation or contract with a particular brewery, serves several brands of beer, ale, etc.
- Public House (or Pub) - despite its name, a private house, but is licensed to sell alcohol to the general public.
- Coaching Inn – an inn serving coach and travelers. Coaching inns stabled teams of horses for stagecoaches and mail coaches and replaced tired teams with fresh teams.
- Beer House - A beerhouse was a type of drinking establishment created in the United Kingdom by the 1830 Beerhouse Act, legally defined as a place "where beer is sold to be consumed on the premises".
The explanations are good to know before traveling there. I always love the different and unique names on the signs. So much more fun than Applebees. ha ha.
ReplyDeleteNo kidding! One name I saw more than once was "the Slug and Lettuce". I still laugh about that. :)
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