Wed 11th Dec 2019 - England leads the way as number of UK pubs rises for first time in a decade England leads the way as number of UK pubs rises for first time in a decade: The UK’s pub industry is reversing a decade of decline with a net growth of 320 pubs and bars, according to a new report by startup digital growth service Stampede. The report, entitled Raising The Bar, features figures from the Office of National Statistics, including data that has yet to be distributed, the company said. The study found there was a net gain of 320 pubs in 2019, the first time the number of pubs in the UK had increased for a decade. There was a net loss of 5,855 pubs in the UK between 2010 and 2018 at an average of 732 a year. The growth was led by England, which saw an increase of 345 pubs, followed by Northern Ireland (five). However, Scotland and Wales saw a fall in the number of pubs during the year – by five and 25 sites respectively. Large pub groups are driving growth in the sector. The biggest increase (205) was from pub companies with a turnover of £500,000 to £1m, while the second-biggest increase (125) was in the £1m to £2m bracket. By contrast, the UK had a net loss of 55 sites for pub enterprises with a turnover of less than £100,000. By region, the south east has the most pubs (5,340) but only grew by ten venues in 2019. The north east grew the most (85), followed by the West Midlands (80). London lost ten pubs overall but saw a net increase in ten of 33 boroughs. Licensed clubs remain on the decline, with 7,420 venues recorded in 2019 compared with 7,610 in 2018 and more than 10,000 in 2010, the report stated. Stampede founder and chief executive Patrick Clover said: “The reduction of pubs in the past decade has been heart-breaking following devastating changes to business taxes and alcohol duties. I hope these figures signpost a reversal of fortune.” Stampede launched recently with £1m in seed funding and offers digital marketing and growth services to the hospitality industry.