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Thomas Thurnell-Read, Reader in Sociology, Loughborough University

Consolation, community, national identity: what is lost when pubs close – and how they can be saved

William Perugini/Shutterstock

Recent figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show that pubs will close at the rate of one a day in the UK during 2025. This is just the latest chapter in a familiar story – more than a quarter of British pubs have closed since 2000.

The cost of running a pub has risen dramatically. The ingredients used to brew beer all cost more, as do the business rates, rents, duties, utilities and wages required to operate a welcoming venue in which to serve it. Some publicans have reported utility bills doubling in a matter of months.

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