This is a post about pubs; we're loosing them faster than we're ordering take-aways.

In 2024, the British Beer & Pub Association estimated that 300 pubs closed across England and Wales - that's six every week. 

Meanwhile, YouGov found that 45% of pubgoeers are visiting less often because of the rising cost of living. 

According to Statista, the UK’s online food delivery market size grew from £16.6bn in 2021 to £17.75bn in 2023, and it's expected to reach £28bn. Just Eat alone processed 240m orders in 2024. 

So what might the landscape look like for pubs if just a fraction of our take away spend became pub visits instead?

🧮 A quick 'back of a fag packet calculation' might look like this:

The market size (2023): £17.75bn.

Estimated orders: between 300m-500m per year (Just Eat accounts for 240m).

The average spend per order £35-£59, let's call it roughly £47 per family meal.

(Happy to share the maths with those interested)

Now imagine if just 25% of that spend (the £17.75bn) was redirected to pubs. This shift alone would equate to around 94m additional pub visits every year!

We can't wait for policy alone to save our pubs. The money is already there, we just need to convert some of our take away spend into pub nights to that pubs survive and communities thrive. 

The Public Plate brings a practical way to do this; centralised production, ready-to-plate meals, and subscription/meal plans that will keep prices low and footfall flowing. 

Pubs could buy in low-cost, bulk made, delicious meals and serve generous portions straight from the bar, no kitchen required. 

Affordable food. Busier pubs. Stronger communities.