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Pub owners are calling for drinkers to engage sensibly with Dry January and support their local at the most challenging time of year for hospitality.
Lancashire’s Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) branch has spoken out against the trend of people to give up the booze for the first month of the year, leaving pubs with reduced income following the festive season.
“We don’t encourage people to drink loads. We encourage the socialising and support of these local pubs, bars, and businesses,” Adrian Smith, Chairman of the Central Lancashire branch, told Blog Preston.
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“If people don’t go to pubs, then they will disappear.
“With the busy Christmas period at its end, pubs and businesses are slower and emptier around this time.
“They are struggling to make ends meet due to the staff shortages, wage increases, and facility and utility costs.
He added: “As an organisation and individually we are not in favour of Dry January.”
While Dry January is considered by some an opportunity for cutting the calories and to have a fresh start after the excesses of Christmas, it also presents a challenge for pubs and hospitality businesses, 39,000 of which disappeared in the last year alone according to CAMRA.
It is about finding a balance, supporting your community by continuing to visit local pubs, even if you’re not drinking alcohol, he said.
“People don’t have to drink, they can go to quizzes, live music and events.
“We all know the benefits of pubs, bringing people together, activities, social benefits, especially for some older people, it may be their only chance to socialise throughout the day.”
Non-alcoholic options can allow visitors to join in the fun without compromising their health goals, and in the process, help keep these institutions afloat.
Whether it’s visiting a favourite bar for a social gathering, trying out a new low or no alcohol drink, or simply enjoying the warmth of your local pub, it could be that your presence is just as valuable as your patronage.
Atlas Scholes, bar supervisor at The Lime Bar in Penwortham, is happy to report no drop in customer levels. She said: “We haven’t really seen a decline in January. We’re booked up with parties almost every weekend still.
“In terms of dry January, we’ve offered a non-alcoholic option for a while now so people can still come in and have a drink with their friends.”
Lime Bar’s approach is an example of how local pubs can adapt and remain inclusive to everyone, regardless of their alcohol consumption choices.
Offering non-alcoholic beverages allows those participating in Dry January to still enjoy the social experience that pubs offer, without feeling excluded or pressured to drink alcohol.
Black Horse Preston is promoting its non-alcoholic options on social media. “Slightly over indulged over the holidays. Decided to try dry Jan?
“Don’t worry we’ve got you sorted with a range of alcohol-free favourites at the bar! We’ve also got our usual range of fantastic beers and fires roaring so why not pop down for one (or two).”
Social media can be a crucial time for people participating. Some have mixed views on the campaign.
Malcolm Ireland, a licensing solicitor at Harrison Drury in Preston, has been taking to social media for the past three years to publicise why people should go and support their local during these quieter times.
He told Blog Preston: “I’ve been doing this for around three years now on social media. But I actually started this pre-covid.
“In my view, Dry January is not mutually exclusive. I’m not against it, or people that re-evaluate their views with alcohol. But they should take steps to re-evaluate on a permanent basis rather than just for the month.
“And businesses will see an impact from this. The key message I want people to take away from my posts is ‘use it or lose it’. This means that if people don’t go out and socialise then we will see the effects of this.
“The low and no categories are growing rapidly and becoming more widely available. And people, even if just for a coffee or soft drink or even an alcohol-free alternative should support these businesses in this crucial time. And it just feels wrong to leave them.”
Students in Preston are particularly interested in looking at non-alcoholic alternatives, according to staff at one on-campus bar.
Lampworks, at UCLan Students’ Union, offers a wide range of different alcohol-free varieties from red wine to rum.
Kristie, bar supervisor, told Blog Preston: “We try to make it a more cost-effective alternative and wide variety in order to cater for a wide range of people.
“We try to tackle dry January by offering things like milkshakes, smoothies, mocktails and alcohol-free alternatives in order to attract socialising amongst the students in a quiet time of year.”
There are, however, clear benefits from cutting down on drinking even if that doesn’t need to come at the expense of supporting your favourite businesses.
Lee Petts from Penwortham is a runner and is hoping it will help with his fitness.
“I took up running in 2021 and had been getting out regularly until last summer when illness set me back a bit. When I tried to get back into it, I found I was lacking motivation and feeling a bit lethargic.
“I wondered if alcohol might be part of that. I don’t drink excessively, but I do always feel like it saps my energy when I’ve had a few beers.
“I think avoiding alcohol has definitely helped, I’m much more energised and I’ve lost some timber too.”
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