2022. What a year. Not great for the pubs and brewing sectors, and 2023 doesn’t look like seeing much of an improvement. But whatever happens, Beer Today will be updated daily to reflect the industry mood.
There will be a slightly different look to the site from next, in readiness for developing a Beer Today app. That should come fairly early in the new year. As ever, the focus remains on independent brewers and venues.
There will, of course, be coverage of beer and cider, news from brewers, and event listings, from beer festivals to tap takeovers and meet the brewer sessions. But I’ll make no apology, in 2023, in putting a strong emphasis on pubs.
Pubs are uniquely British and part of what makes Great Britain great. They are at the centre of communities. A place to meet, a place to celebrate, a place to mourn sometimes. But a place where we come together as equals and enjoy good company.
Pubs raise huge amounts for good causes, whether it’s that RNLI or air ambulance collection box at the end of the bar, or bigger organised events, such as the foodbank fundraising in the Builders Arms, Croydon, reported on recently.
According to PubAid, pubs raise more than £100 million every year for charity, and donate a further £40m in funds or in-kind support to grassroots sports.
If you follow me on social media you’ll know that I spend a few hours a week behind the bar at the Star Inn, Crowlas, in West Cornwall. On Christmas Day we opened for three hours. It was three hours hard work, but well worth it. There was nowhere I would have rather been. More than 95% of those who turned out were local and were glad of the chance to get together on the big day. More importantly, some customers who live on their own had company.
That pubs has played a big part of my life, on either side of the bar, over the past 20 years or so. Friendships have been forged. Some good friends, alas, have passed. Birthdays are celebrated, anniversaries acknowledged. Glasses are raised. And occasionally songs are sung! It’s the centre of my life, and I know it’s the centre of so many others’ lives.
So for 2023 I’ll be doing my best to support our pubs, and backing the campaigns that aim to do the same.
What’s your favourite pub? Which landlords do you know who go that extra mile for the community. Drop me an email or a social media message and lets shine some light on our great boozers and bar people.
In 2022, 32 pubs a month shut their doors forever. As I write this, I’ve seen a couple more mentioned on social media today. Let’s try and halt this in 2023.
