English Pubs

The pub is at the heart of the community, in villages, towns and cities, all over England. The pub is more than just a shop where drinks are sold and consumed. For centuries it has been a place where friends meet, colleagues ‘talk shop’ and business people negotiate deals. The place where people gather to celebrate, play games or to seek quiet relaxation. Due to changes in the law, the pub is now a place for families. It is re-establishing itself as the place to eat, a tradition that all but disappeared after the last war. Many provide affordable accommodation.

There is no waiter service in the English Pub. You have to go to the bar counter to order your drink, pay for it there and then, and take it back to your table. If you are in a group, it is normal to order and pay for all the group. This is a “round” of drinks. Staff in the bar do not expect to be tipped for serving drinks, although few have been known to refuse the old half-pint.

English beer is generally known as Bitter, Mild or Ale, and brands vary widely in strength, according to your choice. They tend to be served cool, but not chilled in the European manner. You must try the traditional draught beers, which are recognized by the unusual tall hand pumps on the bar. Nearly all pubs will also sell a number of continental style chilled beers, generally known as lager in Britain. Draught beer is always sold in pint or half pint glasses (a pint is just over half a litre). In a pub just ask for a PINT or HALF of whichever beer you fancy.

The food at pubs is rarely refined, though the new gastro-pubs that some chefs have opened during the 1990s are changing that. Still, nothing beats a plate of bangers and mash (sausages with mashed potatoes) or cock-a-leekie pie (curries chicken pot pie) and a pint of bitter.

Pubs are generally open from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm Monday-Saturday, and 12:00 pm until 10:30 pm Sunday, when they often close between 3:00 pm and 5:30 pm. Whether you happen upon a three-hundred-year-old converted coach house, an architectually ornate Victorian holdover or a more modern spot, you’ll likely find the pub to be just what it was in Chaucer’s time: a warm, friendly refuge from the unfriendly English weather. Darts is a game characteristic of pubs.

Pubs in Scotland

With at least one pub for every thousand people in Scotland - from small independents in the Highlands to style bars in major cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh - Scotland's pubs and bars are central to the country's culture. There are about 5,200 pubs in Scotland. Scotland is famed for its full-bodied, malty ales. Scotch ales are sweet and very full-bodied, with malt and roast malt flavors predominating. They are deep burnished-copper to brown in color. Scottish ales are invariably rich and mouth filling. They have a maltier flavor and aroma, darker colors, and a more full-bodied and smokier character than British ales. Bitterness and hoppiness are not dominant factors in Scottish ales, and they are less hoppy than their British counterparts. And, it's fair to say, that if you haven't already been to a Scottish pub - or sampled one of Scotland's famous beers - you haven't really experienced Scotland.