What does the future hold for the great British pub?

2nd April 2024

Landlords, publicans, local authority planners, and members of the public are being invited to an academic workshop at Northumbria University, Newcastle, exploring the future of the British Pub.

Entitled “Public House 2030: Will pubs still be here at the end of the decade?”, the workshop is being held on Friday 26th April at Northumbria’s Newcastle Business School. It will include several guest speakers, including Easington MP and former Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group Grahame Morris and Dr Liz Hind, publican licensee and consultant.

Run in collaboration with the International Association for the Economics of Beer and Brewing – Beeronomics Society – and supported by the Campaign for Pubs, the workshop is being organised and chaired by Professor Ignazio Cabras, Head of Accounting and Financial Management at Northumbria. It will bring together people from the sector to discuss the changes affecting pubs, the different business models in the industry, and the impact of their decline of local economies and communities. Invited speakers will address challenges and threats currently experienced by pubs, and explore measures and solutions that can bring relief from the current trend of closures and provide a more sustainable and secure future for the British pub.

Professor Cabras said: “The traditional pub represents an important part of British culture, economy, and society. Its social and economic significance within the UK has been proved by several scientific studies, but despite its importance, the number of pubs has declined dramatically since 1980s, for several reasons. More recent crises caused by the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and high inflation have conferred another significant blow to pubs, which are now in more danger than ever.

“I would encourage anyone with an interest in the future of pubs, whether from the industry or not, to sign up for our workshop in April.”

Invited speakers include:

Grahame Morris MP MP Easington, former Vice-Chair All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group

Dr Liz Hind Publican Licensee and Chair of Women's Budget Group

Greg Mulholland Campaign for Pubs, Founder of the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group

Phil Dixon Publican Licensed Trade Consultant

Victoria MacDonald Licensee and former Norwich City Councillor

Dr Thomas Thurnell-Read Loughborough University

Mark Haslam Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)

Sam Kellie Managing Director - First and Last Brewery

The workshop is free for everyone to attend on a first come, first served basis. Prior registration is essential as attendance is capped. To book your place, please send an email to Kevin Fletcher [kevin.fletcher@northumbria.ac.uk] by April 19th, 2024.

For more information on research at Northumbria please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk