UK licensed premises drop below 100k for first time in 20 years
The largest losses have been drink-led pubs, bars and nightclubs, which have seen a net decline of 43.6% over the period
The number of Britain’s licensed premises has fallen by nearly a third in the last two decades to below 100,000 for the first time in 20 years, according to new figures from UKH in partnership with CGA by NIQ.
At the end of this September, the total number of licensed premises in the UK stood at 99,916 – a drop of 30.6% from 144,055 recorded by CGA in 2003. This is the first time it has entered five figures.
According to UKH, the largest losses have been drink-led pubs, bars and nightclubs, which have seen a net decline of 43.6% over the period.
As a result, the hospitality body is calling for urgent government support in the Autumn Statement, in the form of extending business rates relief and freezing the current multiplier.
However, the last 20 years have seen an uplift of 14.6% in managed sites, which have performed better than independent venues which have declined 32.9%.
The period has also experienced an increase in eating venues, up 14.8%, mainly in the form of the casual dining restaurants and food-led pubs, which reflects the consumer shift in this time from drinking out to eating out.
Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKH, said: “Given the shocking number of hospitality business closures exposed by these new figures, the last thing the sector needs is the potential £1bn bill as a result of the business rates hike due in April.
“The Autumn Statement is an opportunity to extend the current business rates relief and freeze the current multiplier. In doing so, it can not only save more local and national businesses from closure but enable investment and growth. We also continue to ask the Chancellor to consider more medium- to long-term measures to support the industry.”
Karl Chessell, director of operators and food in EMEA at CGA, said: “These figures show the steady contraction of Britain’s licensed premises over a 20-year period and that has accelerated in recent years with the triple whammy of Brexit, Covid and spiralling costs.
“While the closures have negatively impacted communities and livelihoods, some trends have been positive, like the dramatic increase in the quantity and quality of restaurants and the success stories of multi-site operators.”
He added: “The right government support is needed to ensure businesses can survive and help drive our economic recovery.”
