Public houses
Public houses, better known as pubs, are an important part of British life. People go to the pub to have a drink, enjoy a traditional pub meal, sit down and relax, meet their friends, play games, listen to live music… It is a place where you can meet and talk to the locals.
photo credit: Mike Cattell
There are more than 53,000 pubs in the United Kingdom. A pub in which you can stay and sleep for one or more nights can be called an inn.
Most pubs are open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. but some can have a license which allows them to be open for a longer time.
photo credit: Mike Cattell
Pub names have different origins. Some have been inspired by royalty, religion or heroes. Some come from old slogans or expressions. Typical pub names are ‘The Rose and Crown’, ‘Black Horse’ or the ‘Marquis of Granby’, named after a Commander-in-chief in the British army who gave money to this soldiers so that they could open pubs after they retire from the army.
photo credit: petemaskreplica
Many pubs are centuries old so pub signs had to be easily recognizable at times when many customers couldn’t read.
Pubs often have two bars, one being usually quieter than the other. Many have a garden where people can sit in the summer. Children can enter a pub with their parents until 9 p.m.
photo credit: Wolfiewolf
In pubs, you can drink alcohol, especially beer in pints (= about 568 ml) or half-pints but they also sell soft ( = non-alcoholic) drinks. A person who orders alcohol must be at least 18 years old. There is no table service. You must go to the bar to order drinks and food and you pay for them immediately. Your food is brought to your table.
photo credit: space.cadet
You can play traditional games in pub, a very popular one being darts:
photo credit: Paul Denton Cocker
In some pubs, you can play a game of skittles:
In nearly all pubs, you can order food for a reasonable price, such as the traditional Sunday Roast with Yorkshire pudding:
photo credit: Sacred Destinations
or the typical Ploughman’s lunch which is a cold lunch:
