Location and UK Pubs: A Commentary and Empirical Analysis

Location is an underappreciated element of pub visiting behaviour, often treated as a peripheral issue. This chapter brings locational aspects of pubs to the forefront examining them in historical, cultural, and contemporary contexts. Policy has, for the past 150 + years, greatly affected the spread, proximity, and density of public houses, and in the last 20 years, industry has turned its attention more carefully to the importance of location, but we still know very little detail about this important element. Contemporary empirical evidence presented here shows that proximity plays a key part in pub visiting decisions and that consumers will often visit pubs close to their home or other significant locations. Additionally, how consumers interact with and use pubs further away follow predictable patterns which we outline. There is still much to learn about this important element, and we hope this chapter will open the route to further empirical research.