Thirty-eight years separate pub landlords Coby Morton, 28, who runs the Dolphin Inn in Shrewsbury, and Jason Osborne, 66, who operates four pubs across the country, including the Raven in central London. In that time, our drinking habits and the fate of our pubs have changed dramatically. After a stagnant period in the 1980s, alcohol consumption soared in the late 1990s until, by 2004 – a year termed “peak booze” by The New Statesman – Britons drank 9.5 litres of alcohol per person.
In recent years, our appetite for drinking has dwindled, especially among young people. Earlier this year, a survey carried out by Savanta found nearly half (43%) of 18-34-year-olds in Britain do not drink alcohol. This, combined with rising costs, has had a huge knock-on effect on pubs. Last year, more than 400 shut their doors and in the first half of 2025, 200 more followed. Clearly, it’s a tricky time to be a pub landlord. Morton and Osborne tell us about the highs and lows of the profession today and in years past.
