Wetherspoons boss speaks out over proposal to shrink pints to two thirds of the size
The boss of Wetherspoons has spoken out after proposals to scrap pints in pubs were put forward by some of the UK's leading academics.
Instead of the imperial pint of your favourite lager, cider, ale, or stout - which measures in at 568ml - schooners are being proposed to be served in pubs instead.
Schooners are around two-thirds of the size of a pint, with the glasses holding around 425ml.
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Academics from the University of Cambridge have researched the move, suggesting that by decreasing the size of a pint, you could have 'wider public health benefits'.
"Alcohol consumption is the fifth largest contributor to premature death and disease worldwide," the research team writes, with the issue of drinking too much clearly a problem for many.
It adds: "In 2016 it was estimated to have caused approximately three million deaths worldwide."
As a result, Professor Dame Theresa Marteau and colleagues at the Behaviour and Health Research Unit suggest that by serving your tipple in a schooner, you will drink the same number of glasses and still be as satisfied.
And ultimately, you'll drink less, which is better for your health.
In a study published in PLOS Medicine, the team found that removing the pint reduced the average volume of beer, lager and cider sold by 9.7 percent - although there was a slight increase in the amount of wine purchased with one pub contributing to half of the increase of wine sales.
They report that although customers did not complain, fewer than one percent of venues approached agreed to participate and the intervention involved only 12 establishments.
Professor Marteau said: “Alcohol harms our health, increasing the risk of injury and many diseases including heart disease, bowel, breast and liver cancers. While we may all enjoy a drink, the less we drink the better our health.
“As we’ve shown is the case with wine, removing the largest serving size for beer, lager and cider – in this case, the pint – could encourage people to drink less. This could be beneficial both to the nation’s health and the health of individuals.”
Tim Martin, the boss of JD Wetherspoon, has hit out at the concept, suggesting the move would be 'slightly daft'.
He said a suggestion that the use of schooners in Australia did not relate to 'any noticeable reduction in consumption'.
Martin said: “Common sense indicates that reducing glass sizes is unlikely, due to human nature, to reduce alcohol consumption in pubs, and would also have no effect whatsoever on drinks bought in supermarkets, unless container sizes in supermarkets were also, unrealistically, reduced."
Any move to ban the pint and move to schooners would require the Government to legislate on the matter.
Martin has urged against this, as well speculation that the current Labour government could reduce pub opening hours. Labour ministers have denied that trading hours could be reduced.
Earlier this year, leaked Government documents showed that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was reportedly looking at banning smoking in pub beer gardens as part of a wider crackdown on smoking.
The Government declined to comment on the speculation when approached for comment at the time.
Topics: Wetherspoons, Pubs, Food And Drink, UK News, Politics, Education, Health, Alcohol, Science
Tom Earnshaw