Inn is out as locals favour Bar and Tap for new pub names

The actor Peter O'Toole drinking in the Coach and Horses in London’s Soho – the name has fallen out of favour as tap rooms replace traditional pubs. Photograph: Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard/Shutterstock

Inn is out. Bar, on the other hand, is very much in. Traditional pub names are on the decline, a reflection of the problems facing licensees and the success of the craft brewing boom.

Data from the Food Standards Agency shows there were 103 fewer licensed establishments with “Inn” in the name in 2022 compared with 2020 – the biggest faller. “Arms” was also down by 49, while “Bar” was up by 119 and “Tap” up by 48.