The Best Thing About British Pubs (Besides the Beer)

I’ve been tasked to write 500 words on the above heading and I’m sure I could do 5,000 on what for me is the thing that makes me proudest to be British.

In fact, I’ve just got back from one. Sat outside with my newborn baby in the late February “sun” as us Brits attempt to sit in a beer garden at the first sign of sunlight bursting through clouds.

I sat with a baby papoose around my neck, munched on a stone-oven baked pizza and supped a pint. Bliss.

Across the U.K. there are differences everywhere in culture, accents, views on the world and demographics but one thing that always remains a constant is the pub.

Whether it be the casual 2pm lunch, the cheeky post work bevvy or the evening session wherever you are in the country they’ll be similar characters and similar customs.

Here are some of my favorites:

THE PUB MAN

There is always a pub man. He probably does drink too much but he’s not necessarily got a problem.

He dresses terribly, knows everyone’s business and if you get caught chatting to him it can be a torturous affair.

Spotted easily by his poorly fitting jeans coupled with loafers he’s got a tab behind the bar and teaches new staff where things are or how to work the till despite the fact he has never worked in a pub.

DOGS IN PUBS

If you walked into a restaurant with a dog, patrons and staff might politely ask you to leave but in a pub the dog is not only welcome by both, but they are also given leftover ham from lunch and have pride of place at the bar slurping water.

Pub man and others pat the dog knowing him/her by first name terms and this welcome makes the dog feel double comfortable in the pub setting, no matter the noise, busyness or seating situation.

THE PUB IS FOR ALL

Anyone who has ever been to a pub quiz knows the biggest mix of ages and oddballs makes the best team and the bonding over pints and trivia makes them stronger.

In no other setting would a 21-year-old student, a housewife, the local undertaker and a retired couple socialize together attempting to work out who the Cuban leader was in 1968.

DARTS

The sports of darts and pool simply aren’t sports without pubs.

Like nobody has a pool table in their house, or even a dartboard that they regularly play but a good pub should have both and an even better one has teams that travel the local area representing The Pig and Whistle.

Once again the team is a mix and match of people and shortages can be made up by any of the pub quiz team, pub man or at a push the pub dog (as depicted in classic pub wall art up and down the country)