Last night, I set out to do something simple: visit a handful of local venues and see, first-hand, how they are navigating the ongoing cost-of-living pressures. What emerged was not a single narrative, but a series of small, revealing conversations, each offering a different perspective on an industry still adjusting to sustained uncertainty. Within a short distance, my local area offers a surprisingly varied drinking landscape: a working men’s club, two microbars, and two traditional pubs. Though geographically close, these venues differ significantly in scale, structure, and approach. A Patchwork of Venues Each venue operates according to its own logic. The working men’s club is managed, with a steady rotation of bar staff reflecting a more institutional model. The microbars, by contrast, are deeply personal spaces. One is run primarily by a couple, with one partner typically behind the bar, giving it a quieter, more intimate feel. The other, slightly larger and busier, is also f...
Renegade bar tender and amateur drinking enthusiast with a passion for real ale, beer festivals, micro brewing and pubs rants on relentlessly while quaffing, scoffing and reviewing from both sides of the bar..