New research by Trading Standards has found that 70% of beer and wine is short measured across Britain’s pubs, bars and clubs.
The national fieldwork was undertaken by Local Authorities across the UK, with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) finding 96 short measures out of 137 test purchases.
Out of the short measures, 41 were at a deficit of 5% or over – 29% of all the 137 drinks tested, and when broken down between beer and wine, it was noted that 86% of beer and 43% of wine was found to be short measured.
The average deficit for short-measured beer found in the survey was 4%, while for wine it was 5%. For the average beer drinker, this equates to a loss of £1.70 per week, or £88.40 per year, and for an average wine drinker in the UK this jumps to £2.20 per week and £114.40 per year.
The largest short measure was a deficit of 15%, found on a 175ml glass of wine in Walsall, with the drink costing £3.20.
The next largest short measures were a deficit of 13.4% found in Belfast, on a glass of wine costing £7.20, and the third largest deficit was of 12% and found on a 175ml glass of wine purchased in Havering, costing £5.75.
The findings come at a time when the price of alcoholic drinks is at an all-time high: according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the average price of a bottle of red wine has increased 8% in the last year, while the average cost of a pint of lager is up 5.6%.
A short measure means that the beer or wine the customer receives is less than the prescribed quantity required by The Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988.
CTSI’s new public polling found that over one third of the public (35%) of 2,000 felt the head should not be included in the pint measure – higher than one quarter (23%) who believed the head should be included.
John Herriman, chief executive at CTSI, said there was a potential detriment to the average consumer of around £115 every year, suggesting there is the need for more comprehensive research to better understand the impact of short measures
”Weights and measures is a key role for Local Authority Trading Standards, but right now we simply don’t have the resources to allocate, and even the equipment to use, to undertake spot checks that ensure consumers are getting what they pay for,” he said.
“We are calling on the hospitality sector to ensure that consumers get value for money by making sure they are correctly measuring the drinks they are serving to customers in the nation’s pubs and bars and for further research in this area.”
CAMRA national chairman Nik Antona added, “Consumers shouldn’t have to feel short changed when they support their favourite pubs, social clubs, and taprooms. The idea that 70% of all beer bought at the bar is being short measured in the UK is extremely concerning.
“CAMRA wants the government to make sure pubgoers have a legal right to receive a 100 per cent liquid pint every time they are being served. This latest study is another worrying indication of an issue that has been affecting consumers for a number of years now and should hopefully provide a catalyst for change.
“For anything that is short measured, and particularly anything more than 5% short, you should ask the bar staff for an immediate top-up. You are well within your rights to do this, and the staff should comply and fulfil this request.
“If you get a negative reaction when you do this, you can get in contact with Trading Standards to report the incident.”
In the first week alone of the 2023 Christmas period, 35.9 million pints were sold in the UK, and if the CTSI findings are replicated across the UK, this would amount to £6.8 million in consumer detriment in only one week.
In 2021, the British Beer and Pub Association reported that on-trade sales of beer alone contracted £5.7 billion in revenue, equivalent at the time to 1.4 billion pints per year or 26 million pints per week; with today’s prices, this means a 4% deficit in each pint equates to a huge £264 million in potential consumer detriment per year.
