The 2023 survey was carried out on July 29th, with 168 pubs visited by 27 volunteers, who found 265 different beers available, in a total of 464 beers on sale on handpump or gravity. There were 114 pubs serving one or more real ales, approximately 2 in every 3, but many of the ‘non-real-ale’ venues are hotels or ‘night time’ bars.
The 2023 totals compare with 226 different beers in a total of 435 found in 2022, indicating that while the total number of beers on sale has only recovered slightly since COVID, the range of beers has increased significantly, although neither are anywhere near back to 2019 levels of 308 different beers in a total of 581.
The average price of a pint has risen to £4.30 from £4.05 in 2022 and £3.68 in 2019, a 6% and 17% increase respectively. Given the huge increases in the prices of almost everything connected with beer and pubs, the only surprise here is how low those increases are. With the average strength of beer coming in at 4.3%, we are now paying £1 for every 1% ABV
The top five most popular beers (with publicans at least!) were Adnams Ghost Ship (found in 23 pubs), followed by Sharp’s Doom Bar (19), Greene King Abbot (13), a new entry from Lacons Encore (12) replacing Greene King IPA at number 4, and Woodforde’s Wherry (11, down from 49 in 2013!).
The top five included a total of 78 slots on the bar, a significant drop from the 89 in 2022, and further evidence of the increase in diversity. This is even more marked if we go back ten years, to 2013, where the top five (Wherry, Adnam’s Southwold, Doom Bar, Adnam’s Broadside and Woodforde’s Nelson’s Revenge) took 128 slots, and were all ‘brown’ bitters.
Thanks to all the volunteers who selflessly visited all the pubs, Craig Harmer for organising them, and Martin Ward and Ian Stamp for entering all the data!