Death of the quick pint?

As a new report suggests that more than 90% of pub visits involve the eating of food, is the age of the quick pint and boozy drinking den over?

There are certain statistics that stop you in your tracks. For instance, did you know that the Bee Gees have sold more than 200m records? That nearly 10 million people watched the Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas special? Or that less than one-in-10 visits to the pub are now solely for the purpose of having a drink?

“Sorry, come again?” you may ask of that last factoid, and you would be right to question it. Despite the headlines that greeted this latest research from market analysts NPD, its central thrust – that British pubs are now primarily places to eat rather than drink – is not quiteas dramatic as it first appears. NPD reported that 92 out of every 100 pub visits now involve the consumption of food. But when I asked NPD to clarify this, it transpires that it counts crisps and nuts. “If the panellist considers a pint and crisps as their dinner, they can declare them as such,” said a spokesperson.