Can Pubs Survive? With The Great British Pub Crawls Dale Harvey

Описание: In this episode of The Beer Rep Chats With, Martin sits down with Dale Harvey, the man behind ‪@thegreatbritishpubcrawl‬ to talk about his mission to visit every pub in Britain and shine a light on the challenges facing the nation’s locals.

Dale explains how the project began as a tongue-in-cheek challenge to visit every pub in Nottinghamshire after questioning a local newspaper’s “Top 5” list. What started as a bit of fun soon turned into a movement — one that now covers thousands of pubs across the UK, with over 7,500 already ticked off.

Drawing on his 20 years of experience running pubs, Dale paints a realistic picture of the struggles tenants face — from rising costs and dwindling footfall to restrictive pub company (“pubco”) contracts that limit choice and favour mass-produced beers. He argues that pubs are much more than businesses, they’re vital social spaces that support communities, combat loneliness, and represent a huge part of British heritage and tourism.

Martin and Dale discuss how government policy has consistently failed hospitality, with token gestures like longer opening hours doing little to help. Dale calls out corporate campaigns such as Long Live the Local for misleading the public, insisting that true reform must focus on reducing hospitality tax, scrapping unfair business rates, and freeing pubs from exploitative beer-tie contracts.

The conversation also celebrates the rise of micro pubs — small, independently run venues that prioritise great beer, community, and sustainability which Dale sees as the future of British drinking culture. He shares heart-warming stories of villages saving their pubs by buying them back from pubcos, proving that local ownership can bring pride and resilience back to communities.

Looking ahead, Dale unveils his next project The Great British Pub Crawl App, a new platform that will let people follow his pub crawl routes, discover local gems, and track their own pub adventures. As he prepares to hit the milestone of 10,000 pubs, Dale’s passion for preserving Britain’s drinking heritage shines through.

The episode closes on a lighter note — from Carling glass rants to favourite cities for a pint (Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Nottingham, and York) — but the message remains clear: if we want to keep the heart of our communities alive, we need to back our locals, drink independent, and fight for the great British pub.


Follow The Great British Pub Crawl:

Instagram:   / greatbritishpubcrawl  
Facebook:   / thegreatbritishpubcrawl  
TikTok:   / thegreatbritishpubcrawl  



Chapters

00:00 - 04:48 Intro & The Birth of the Great British Pub Crawl
04:49 - 05:38 The Cultural Significance of Pubs
05:39 - 07:15 Pointless Government Policy
07:16 - 08:43 The State of Pubs: Thriving vs. Struggling
08:44 - 14:29 The PubCo Influence
14:30 - 18:29 Breweries, Petitions & the Fight for Change
18:30 - 20:15 Micro Pubs and the Future of the Great British Local
20:16 - 22:21 Beer Ties in Hospitality
22:22 - 25:41 Communities Taking Ownership & Fighting Back
25:42 - 28:06 What the Government Needs To Do
28:07 - 31:15 Looking Ahead: The Future of British Pubs
31:16 - 33:14 The Great British Pub Crawl App
33:15 - 36:05 Best Areas To Drink In The UK: Dale's Top 5
36:06 Wrap Up & Outro