English pubs struggling? What’s next?
How tough is the economy right now? Consider these numbers from a recent Newsweek article:
-Five pubs go out of business every day in Britain.
-For the first time in nearly 1,000 years, more than half of Britain’s villages have gone dry.
-Beer consumption in Britain is at its lowest point since the Great Depression.
Disturbing trends, indeed. It’s no secret that this economy is hurting the beer market. The Thirsty Beagle earlier mentioned the lament of American craft brewers, who can’t afford to drop their prices to the bottom of the vat to encourage more sales. The real tragedy here would be if too many small, creative breweries — and the pubs that serve their goods — are forced to close up shop.
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Very foreboding indeed. Hopefully it will all work itself out without too much damage to the industry. You know things are bad when a six pack of regular craft amber ale, nothing special, is $10.99!!!