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The boss of Britain's beer and pub industry trade body has said more pubs may have to close for the sector to reach a sustainable level.
Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said she did not believe pubs should be saved at all costs.
Should point out she is mostly funded by pubcos
Full article and responses from real drinkers here Daily Mail
Interesting one, Farway, and guaranteed to generate some emotional responses (as indeed it has in the Wail).
My tuppence worth: every pub, regardless of how unprofitable or awful, serves a useful social purpose. Some provide refreshments in city centres along with employment. Some form the heart of a small community, while others provide somewhere for different socio-economic groups to mix with like minded people so they don't annoy members of other, dissimilar groups. So why say that a socially useful facility should close in favour of a free market economy when we don't live in one?
Towards the other end of the continuum of arguments is the simple economic phenomenon that reduced competition from smaller pubs will increase the revenue for those that remain, even after some customers remove themselves from the equation by drinking at home or joining a private club.
Right, now I've got that of me chest, I'm off to the boozer.