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Viewing report
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Public Houses Market Report Plus 2003
Key Note Publications Ltd, March 2003
The UK's 48,000 public houses play a central role in the UK catering and drinks market, with sales of £14bn in 2002. However, the value of the market is static and the number of pubs is declining year on year.
Beer is still the main product sold in pubs, reflecting the historic 'tied house' connection between brewer and publican. Brewers remain important as pub operators, particularly among the regional brewers, but legislation in the 1990s broke up the largest, national estates. Of the new `pub companies' (pubcos) that emerged to acquire the pubs, Enterprise Inns PLC is the largest, with 5,500 pubs at the end of 2002.
Major competitors to Enterprise Inns include Punch Taverns PLC, Pubmaster Ltd and the last remaining national brewer and publican, Scottish and Newcastle PLC. Some smaller companies, such as JD Wetherspoon PLC, have specialised in developing carefully managed pubs, rather than bringing together thousands of independent pubs under supply contracts.
Customers now demand a wider variety of drinks from pubs, e.g. more wine, packaged spirits such as Bacardi Breezer, and various soft drinks, and this is reflected in the different styles of pub now available. The contribution of food to pub turnover is rising every year, and many pubs offer televised sport and other entertainment - in particular, to attract young adults looking for sociable venues.
Looking to the future, the concept of the public house is set to change with the new licensing laws going through Parliament in 2003. These will liberalise opening hours but introduce stricter regulations on publicans and pub premises. Licensing will be moved from the local magistrates' courts to local councils.
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