Research finds one in four couples met in the pub
Ei Publican Partnerships' Love Your Pub campaign is designed to ignite interest in the country’s pubs and reinforce their position at heart of local communities ahead of key trading dates such as Valentine's Day, Mother’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.
A survey, carried out by Opinion Matters, using a panel of 2,126 UK adults, revealed that 25% of respondents met their partner for the first time in a pub while 10% claim they would pay more for a house if it was near a good local.
The survey estimated that, based on a UK population of 52m, 18.2m people consider themselves regulars at their local and that 6.2m people’s happiest memories were made in a pub.
Findings also shed light on the role of a pub in its local community, with a quarter of respondents stating that it was important for a publican to act as a community champion and 27% believe pubs to be the best place to raise money for good causes.
Ei Group customer director Steve de Polo said: “Pubs are the beating hearts of many communities and the value of a great local pub to people cannot be overstated. Our new Love Your Pub campaign is all about prompting consumers to celebrate that enduring value and the major role they play in everyday lives.
“Our purpose has always been, and remains, to enable our publicans to boost footfall and grow profitability through a range of support tools and broader initiatives, like Love Your Pub, that help them build sustainable businesses. We are truly passionate about pubs and look forward to hearing how publicans up and down the country benefit from this exciting campaign.”
As part of the Love Your Pub campaign, customers will have the chance to win beer for a year at more than 1,000 participating pubs as well as being able to claim a free pint through a buy one, get one free offer at participating brewers including Heineken, Molson Coors, Diageo and Meantime.
Participating pubs will be supported with bespoke banners, posters and beer mats, while publicans can nominate themselves as a community champion through the Great British Pubs Facebook page for a chance to win a free barrel of beer from supporting regional brewers.
Publican Chris East of Ye Olde Red Lion, York, who is participating in the campaign, explained: “Any initiative that highlights the value pubs bring to their local communities is definitely worth supporting.
“That’s why Love Your Pub is such an exciting campaign and one that Ye Olde Red Lion is fully embracing.
“We’ve got a fantastic range of events lined up in the coming weeks designed to create a buzz, including a psychic night, speed dating, a performance from a former X Factor finalist and a great Mother’s Day celebration. I’m looking forward to serving happy customers in my pub.”
