However, country inns and pubs now face their biggest challenge. Pubs around the country and indeed in Hampshire are closing their doors at an alarming rate. Depending on who you talk to, there are many reasons for this. Drinkers are staying at home with less money to spend on evenings out. Alcohol is cheaper to buy in the large supermarket chains, government red tape and high alcohol duty rates. They all have a part to play in the demise of the good old English pub.
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| Always a good sign .... |
So, will the rural village pub survive? I think so, just not as many as before. With tastes changing in what the pub goer wants from a night out will change the look and feel of many rural establishments across Hampshire.
Local ales and other drinks such as ciders and wines are very popular with younger drinkers, and more such drinks are regularly being made by small local producers around the county. I certainly think the days of rural pubs selling a limited choice of drinks are long gone as people are now much more mobile than before, and can easily choose where to go.
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| Rural pubs ... enticing. |
Hampshire pubs are also a good place for locally produced food. Good local produce can easily be resourced from around Hampshire, and todays pub goers actively look for this in the menus. Good pub food is a must for any rural establishment, as most visitors now expect this service when visiting a rural pub. Full blown restaurants are one thing, but good, honest down to earth pub grub remain very popular.
With Hampshire being a mainly rural county, there remains a great many places to visit with great pubs, food and drink, to be found. So, if you find a good country pub with a warm welcome and a roaring open fire, then treasure it and use it. Make the village pub once again the hub of village life ... before it's gone forever.
Paul Martin.
http://www.media-attention.co.uk
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