Good Pub Guide: positive message for pubs

Pubs are performing well despite the economic climate, and managing to cut or keep food prices low in an effort to attract customers.

That's according to the Good Pub Guide, out today. Editor Fiona Stapley put across a positive message for pubs in her introduction, despite pub closure rates of 4-5% in the past year.

She said though grim, this was not far out of line with 3% job losses in the private sector as a whole, and indeed better that the 6% closure levels in urban shops.

When it comes to food, the editors found that prices remained mostly unchanged and in 30% of cases, were selling food at cheaper prices than last year. Stapley said: "Food prices are virtually the same as last year and in some cases they have been cut. It's very hard for a pub to have kept prices down when all the other costs are rising."

"Licensees are doing all they can to entice people in," she added.

The guide also highlights that pubs brewing their own beer, and 40 of the main entries do, offer big savings. On average a pint is 33p cheaper in brew pubs than similar pubs selling branded beers.

And pubs in Surrey now charge on average £3.01 for a pint, which is even more than London's average of £2.90. The nationwide average is £2.68, 10p up on last year. The Midlands has the most keenly priced beer in the country, with an average price of £2.40 a pint.

The 2010 Guide, publishes today, has 132 new main entries, and almost 1,500 new small print entries.

This year's winners were:​

• New pub of the year: The Potting Shed at Crudwell, Wiltshire, licensees Jonathan Barry, Julian Muggridge and Laura Sheffield

• Country pub of the year: Cross Keys, Upper Chute, Wiltshire, licensees George and Sonia Humphrey

• Town pub of the year: The Cafe Royal, Edinburgh, licensee Valerie Graham

• Own brew pub of the year: Church Inn at Upper Mill, Lancashire, licensee Julian Taylor

• Brewery of the year: Donnington, Gloucestershire, JR Arkell

• Beer pub of the year: Fat Cat, Norwich, Norfolk, licensee Colin Keatley

• Wine pub of the year: Yew Tree, Clifford's Mesne, Gloucestershire, licensees Mr and Mrs Philip Todd

• Whisky pub of the year: The Fisherman's Retreat, Ramsbottom, licensee Hervey Magnall

• Bargain pub of the year: Lewes Arms, Lewes, East Sussex, licensees Abigail Mawer and Peter Dowd

• Unspoilt pub of the year: White Lion, Bartholemy, Cheshire, licensee Laura Condliffe

• Inn of the year: The Bear in Crickhowell, Wales, licensee, Judy Hindmarsh

•Dining pub of the year: The Cock, Hemingford Grey, Cambridgeshire Oliver Thain and Richard Bradley

• Landlord of the year: Tim Gray, the Yew Tree, Lower Wield, Hampshire

•Pub of the year: The Bell & Cross, Holy Cross, Worcestershire, licensees Roger and Jo Narbett