Pubs call time on cheap supermarket booze
Nearly 8/10 North East publicans support a minimum unit price aimed at helping pubs to compete with supermarkets and shops
Cheap supermarket alcohol is harming not just health but also Britain’s pubs, according to a major new survey of 200 publicans. The study, which was published today by the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) and Balance, includes 70 publicans from the North East.
Drinking has shifted from the pub to the home in recent decades, with around three-quarters of alcohol consumed in the UK now bought through supermarkets and off-licences, with rapid online deliveries also having an impact.
Shop-bought beer is now 245% more affordable than in 1987 with pubs also facing well-documented pressures, from the wider economy to changing drinking habits.
‘Behind the bar: what publicans really think about alcohol policy’ finds publicans overwhelmingly blame the price gap between on and off trade alcohol for pub closures, among other issues:
- 79% of North East landlords back minimum unit pricing in England, aimed at levelling the price gap with cheap alcohol consumed at home
- 62% of publicans nationally say alcohol sold from supermarkets and off-licences is too cheap.
- 1 in 4 nationally name cheap off-trade alcohol as one of their three biggest business challenges, alongside rent, energy, and staffing costs.
Publicans also show support for other policies aimed at reducing wider alcohol harm in local communities:
- 75% nationally support a stricter drink-drive limit, including rural publicans by two to one, who trade bodies have claimed would be hardest hit.
- Over half nationally back health warning labels on bottles and cans.
- 46% nationally support alcohol marketing rules being brought into line with that already governing junk food, against 17% opposed.
- 68% nationally support more education and public awareness campaigns around alcohol.
Susan Taylor, Head of Alcohol Policy for Balance, said: “This survey shows that publicans are feeling the shift in alcohol sales away from hospitality and towards supermarkets, off-licences, and rapid delivery apps.
“This is where minimum unit price would help by reducing that price gap and making it easier for pubs to compete.
“It is time that publicans themselves – not big multinational brewers stockpiling their alcohol in supermarkets – are listened to, and the Government should introduce national policies – such as Minimum Unit Price – which help pubs and reduce alcohol harm.”
A large majority (73%) of publicans feel customers’ drinking patterns have changed in recent times – they are coming out less often and drinking less while in a pub. 30% say their customers want more no/low alcohol options. And 37% also say the UK’s drinking culture has got worse since Covid.
The report argues that the emerging gap between the on-trade and the off-trade puts pubs at a disadvantage, with trade bodies often prioritising the interests of multinational alcohol producers that make billions from cheap, supermarket sales:
- Just 1% of publicans interviewed nationally belong to the British Beer and Pub Association or UK Hospitality, most often consulted in Westminster as “the voice of the trade”.
- Far more, almost a quarter, belong to CAMRA, a consumer campaign group.
As Paul Crossman, Chair of the Campaign for Pubs, has previously put it:
“Westminster politicians take entirely on face value the version of the industry presented to them by the best-resourced and best-placed lobbyists, which are of course those permanently on hand in the corridors of Westminster courtesy of funding provided by the largest players in the industry.”
The findings come as the Prime Minister has pledged new support for pubs, including a 20% cut in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues. The report points to a wider opportunity: health and economic missions can work hand-in-hand.
Dr Katherine Severi, Chief Executive, Institute of Alcohol Studies, said: “Alcohol deaths in England reached record levels in the years after the pandemic, and it’s clear that cheap, supermarket alcohol consumed at home is driving much of that harm. The rise of rapid alcohol delivery apps has made things worse, letting people with the heaviest, most dangerous drinking patterns get alcohol to their door within minutes – often when their health is already failing.
“What’s striking about this report is that the people running Britain’s pubs agree with the public health community on the fix. They’re not asking for cheaper alcohol – they’re asking for a level playing field. Raising the price of supermarket alcohol, through minimum unit pricing and higher duty, would cut deaths, support struggling pubs, and free up revenue to invest in treatment and prevention.
“Government has both a health case and an economic case for acting on cheap alcohol. Now it has publicans’ backing too. There’s no excuse left not to act.”
Alcohol harm currently costs England an estimated £27.44 billion every year through pressure on the NHS, crime and disorder, and lost productivity through ill health, sickness and absenteeism.
Evidence shows that shifting alcohol sales away from cheap supermarket purchases and back towards pubs could benefit both the economy and communities.
Economic modelling shows that while a 10% fall in spending in pubs costs the economy £2.68 billion and 72,000 jobs, by contrast a 10% fall in shops and supermarket alcohol spending would add £2.54 billion to the UK and support 43,000 jobs.
However, the report stresses there is no single solution. Business rates relief, licensing reform, or health information measures alone are unlikely to be enough to either save pubs or reduce alcohol harm.
Instead, the report sets out a package of recommendations designed to support pubs, strengthen local communities and reduce alcohol harm. These include tackling the gap between pub and supermarket prices, introducing minimum unit pricing in England, strengthening drink-drive laws, investing in treatment and prevention, and providing further support for pubs facing rising costs.
It also calls on government to work directly with publicans when developing alcohol policy and licensing reform, ensuring the voices of local landlords are heard alongside those of the wider industry.
You can read the report here.
Notes to editors
- ‘Behind the bar: what publicans really think about alcohol policy’ is published by the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) and Balance, the North East’s alcohol programme, based on research conducted by Bluegrass Research.
- 200 publicans across England were interviewed by telephone in May 2026, screened to confirm they were the owner or manager of their premises. 70 interviews were set in the North East, with the remaining 130 spread across the rest of England; results were re-weighted so the North East did not overrepresent the final findings.
- The full report is available at: https://www.ias.org.uk/report/behind-the-bar-what-publicans-really-think-about-alcohol-policy
