Can British Pubs Survive?
With The Great British Pub Crawls Dale Harvey
Martin chats with Dale Harvey, founder of The Great British Pub Crawl, who’s on a mission to visit every pub in Britain. Dale shares how a small challenge in Nottinghamshire turned into a nationwide campaign to celebrate and save the great British boozer.
They discuss the state of the UK’s pubs — rising costs, pubco restrictions, government inaction, and why these community hubs are vital for culture, tourism, and mental health. Dale highlights the rise of micro pubs as the future of independent beer, the importance of fairer tax for hospitality, and his plans for a new Great British Pub Crawl App to help drinkers discover and support local pubs.
From calling out corporate “support” campaigns to sharing stories of communities buying back their locals, this episode is both passionate and eye-opening. If you care about beer, pubs, and keeping the UK’s social heart beating, this one’s for you.
- 37 minutes
- October 27th 2025
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Episode Highlights
- Why the British Pub Matters
- What Makes a Pub Thrive (and Why Many Don’t)
- Micro Pubs and the Future of the Great British Local
- The Pubco Influence in pubs
- What the Government Must Do Next
Dale says:
“Tax needs to be the thing that we do. And this absolute drivel that you see all the time about beer duty, beer duty, cutting beer duty. The only people that benefit from a cutting beer duty are the massive massive pub co-breweries because they will never pass that saving onto the pubs.“
Why This Episode Matters
This episode matters because it goes far beyond beer, it’s about protecting one of the UK’s most important cultural and social institutions: the pub. Through Dale Harvey’s story, we hear first hand how decades of neglect, unfair pubco practices, and rising costs are threatening local pubs and the independent breweries that supply them.
Dale’s journey isn’t just about visiting pubs; it’s about documenting their stories, celebrating the people behind them, and exposing the systems that put them at risk. His passion highlights why pubs are far more than places to drink — they’re spaces of connection, belonging, and history.
By listening, you’ll understand why supporting local pubs and independent beer isn’t just a lifestyle choice, it’s a stand for community, creativity, and culture. This conversation is a call to action for drinkers, brewers, and policymakers alike to help ensure the great British pub doesn’t just survive, but thrives.
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